2nd Series 03/5 - Double Bind
by Laura the infamous B
Summary: A deadly game of cat and mouse has dire consequences for all involved.


**Double Bind**   
by: Laura Boeff 

The Ring Theater. November 12th. A sold out show. One of three that would be held here, heralding not only a glorious moment in entertainment history, but finally healing the last wounds of a single man.   
The Magician was back.   
Below the stage, Ace had assumed his position on the elevating platform, fussing with the sleeve of his black jacket as the tell tale voice of the announcer drifted from above. He half listened to the singsong voice as the nervous flutter that had assumed permanent residence in his stomach tried to rise. It was a war of wills with his uncertain inner self, but in the end he won, pushing the rogue flutter back into the depths.   
There was no reason to be nervous. No reason whatsoever.   
'Yea.. right,' he thought with some amusement, drawing on his white gloves, smoothing them over the full length cape. Ever since the news of his survival had been formally announced, Ace Cooper found himself in demand more then ever.   
He felt compelled.... no, driven, to go on stage again, as soon as possible. It helped him ascertain his identity, vanquish the demon uncertainties that haunted his very psyche. A sad truth, but a truth none the less.   
With a sigh he let the dark thoughts drift aside. They'd been keeping his company far too often as of late and he was tiring of them. Instead, he turned his attention to a more pleasant sensation.   
The magic force was his again. Not tamed... not by a long-shot, but controlled. He delighted in its feel as it waited to be beckoned.   
Ace drew on an infinitesimal part of his true magic and spun a little light ball between his hands, letting it dance across his fingers. He only touched ever so slightly the lines of power that formed the magic force. It would take an act of will to open himself up totally to its power and that was something he would never do during a show. It was just too dangerous, even under the best of circumstances.   
A slight motion caught his attention and Ace's eyes drifted to where Cosmo was bent over the master control board, rubbing at his chest. Thoughtfully, he studied his red haired friend, who he had watched grow out his awkward, lanky youth into the fine young man he was today.   
And yet.. The changes were not complete.   
'You can feel it, Cosmo. It won't go away,' he thought with a touch of sadness, letting the ball dissipate into a shower of blue sparks.   
There was no way to really ignore the magic force, not when it was determined to be noticed. Emotions affected it, influenced it, shaped it. Without restraints or guards, it was without control and without mercy. Cosmo was learning that... the hard way. And yet, he still denied the fact that he could feel the magic force, with all the stubborn determination a seventeen year old could muster.   
Ace sighed.   
It would not stop the abilities from progressing, growing. As of late Ace had noted Cosmo's mood swings. The flinches and small gestures that were dead give aways to the veteran magician, that that power was unconsciously being tapped.   
So far, nothing destructive had come of it. Yet.   
Cosmo turned to him with a self assured smile, giving him the thumbs up. It was show time. Ace acknowledge his partner's silent blessing with a nod and shoved the nervous flutter back into the depths, telling it to stay there as the platform rose to the trap door above. A new emotion started to rise as he did. Anticipation.   
The Magician was back.

***

"Come on already," the tall, heavily built man hissed to his smaller companion.   
"Willy, you think this will work?" the mousy little man with the canisters asked nervously. Willy rolled his eyes. Flynn was always worried. His body seemed to almost vibrate with worry and he even jumped at his own shadow. But he knew his bombs. It was his only saving grace.   
"The boss thinks it will and that's all that matters. Now come on," Willy huffed. They had to get everything set up before the catering trucks left and the loading bay doors would be shut.

***

For one heady moment, Ace Cooper paused before the capacity crowd in the Ring Theater as the platform finished its ascent to the roar of applause. Satisfied eyes traveled the audience, locking briefly on Mona, who smiled stunningly up at him from her privileged place at center stage. He bowed, specifically toward her in appreciation of her beauty as well as her affections.   
"Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to start this evening out with a simple trick," Ace said grandly, pulling the black tarp away. It revealed a simple, black box over which were posed a series of six guillotine blades, besides which sat a timer.   
"A simple trick consisting of nothing more than an empty box." Ace lifted the boxes side, revealing the empty interior. "And a simple set of sharp knives." At this Ace twisted his hand allowing a fat red apple to role over his wrist and into his hand. Stepping to the stages edge he offered the apple to Mona.   
She smiled for him alone as she delicately took the apple.   
"If you would do the kindest of inspecting this apple for the audience, my fair lady," Ace asked politely. Mona smiled and rolled her eyes slightly at his bravado, and took the apple inspecting it carefully.   
"Please, taste it," Ace urged. Mona hesitated, then took a small bite, chewing thoughtfully.   
"Delicious," she pronounced, giving the apple back to Ace's open hand.   
"Thank you, fair lady," Ace said, then promptly threw the apple at the centermost blade. It struck squarely, being dice neatly into two, its halves bouncing onto the stage. Ace picked them up and held them for the audiences approval before flicking them away, the apples disappearing into glittering dust.   
"And the trick is simple. The timer above the box will count down for exactly 60 seconds. Every ten seconds a blade will randomly drop into the box below. My simple task is to remove myself from this box before I am sliced in two. As an added challenge I would like to point out the magnetic lock on the boxes' front. One of the strongest locks produced and, I assure, quite functional."   
Ace paused, gesturing to the lock with a little flourish. Then stood upright again.   
"The sealing of the lock will activate the timer, so without further ado...." He took the slightest of seconds to appreciate the rapt attention of his audience as he bowed his goodbye, then folded himself into the box.   
"I will be seeing you in one minute.. I hope," he laughed lightly, and let the lid drop, hearing the lock snap in place.

***

Cosmo kicked the chair aside and rested his hand near the safety lockout controls, eyes riveted to the monitor. They'd practiced this trick a hundred times. Thoroughly debugged it forward and back, and every time they did it, Cosmo felt ready to pull his hair out.   
A smile that hinted at a touch of insanity alighted his face.   
"I looove this job," Cosmo whispered sincerely as the clock hit 50 and one of the guillotines crashed down.

***

Derek Vega heard the muffled gasp of the crowd as he flashed his badge at the stage door guard, who nodded politely at his passing. Not that he really needed to identify himself, it was well known he had a standing invitation to any Magician show.   
"Hey, Cosmo," Vega called as he approached the control board set in its recessed corner. As the stage was Ace's domain, the main control board was Cosmo's. The teen was leaning over the keyboard, eyes riveted to the large overhead screen which displayed the stage above.   
"Hey, old man," Cosmo returned, the old jib tinged with affection. Vega still grimaced at it though.   
"Not too old to teach you a thing or two," he shot back. Cosmo's shoulders bounced as he chuckled.   
"Do you really want to hear my thoughts on that, Vega?" he queried, as another blade came down, the audience's gasps growing.   
"Smart ass," Vega muttered, not so quietly that Cosmo couldn't hear him. He knew the teen had a grin plastered on his face at his expense, but he didn't mind. The kid deserved every bit of pleasure he could get after the events of the last few months.   
"How's he doing?"   
There was no need to elaborate on who 'he' was. Cosmo let out a small sigh.   
"Nervous," he stated, then grinned. "But determined. Hey, aren't you supposed to be doing guard duty at the governor's dinner thing?"   
"The Imperial Ball. Yea, I thought I'd stop in real quick and check on things," Vega sighed, leaning against the controls board, well out of Cosmo's way.   
"Oh damn," the teen suddenly snarled. Vega's eye immediately locked on the blinking light as Cosmo's fingers flew over the keyboard, a small pop-up screen overlaying on the main stage image.   
"What is it?" he demanded roughly as Cosmo's fist connected with the board in frustration. The forth blade came flying down.   
"The trap door release is registering a failure," Cosmo snarled, already leaping at the access ladder, scrambling up madly to the catwalk above.   
"Oh damn," Vega hissed, eyes locking on the monitor.   
The fifth blade dropped   
"This is not part of the plan," Cosmo muttered to himself grimly, sprinting to the trap door. The safety lock-outs depended on the automatic releases. Without the automatic releases, the lockouts were useless.   
He grabbed the manual release, yanking it back with strength born of desperation. The stiff rod of metal moved half way with a squeal and stopped. Cosmo felt his insides twist, a burning fire rippling through him with his rising panic as he pulled again. It shifted only slightly, sticking determinedly.   
"Move, damn it!" he snarled, high kicking the release, the rod snapping forward as the crowd screeched above. The trap door swung down as the last guillotine blade came singing down and Ace crashed through to land on a very relieved Cosmo.   
"That, was not part of the plan," Ace rumbled, annoyed as he regained his feet, instinctively offering a hand of help to Cosmo, who accepted.   
"Hey, what's wrong with a little spontaneity?" Cosmo countered, not at all amused. His eyes narrowed further.   
"Oh man, you're cut," he said suddenly, worriedly reaching out to Ace's shoulder. Surprised, Ace looked over to see Cosmo studying the fine slice in his cape and shirt. His young assistant's fingers came away smeared with blood.   
"We've got to get this bandaged," Cosmo said, immediately starting to pull him to the stairs.   
"First things first, Cosmo, I've got to get on stage." Ace refused, pulling free. Cosmo glared at him in exasperation.   
"You're bleeding," he protested.   
"It'll add to the effect. The show first, Cosmo," Ace reminded him. Their eyes locked, but it was a battle Cosmo knew he had lost before it had even started. Ace didn't bother with the trap door and drew his cape around him, fading into a glitter of light. A second later jubilant applause exploded from above.   
A shivering tingle rose in Cosmo's gut as Ace faded out, but he squelched it. They had a show to put on.   
"Is everything okay, Cosmo?" Vega called worriedly as the teen slid down the ladder. He had seen what was happening above, but had only caught snatches of their conversation   
"Yea, he's stubborn as ever," Cosmo hissed, wiping his blood-stained fingers across his pant leg as he returned to the board.   
"Don't be mad, Cosmo. He needs to be up there," Vega sighed. "We all need to face our demons eventually."   
The sideways glare Cosmo graced him with assured him that his point had not been missed. Vega was one of the two people on the planet who knew of Cosmo's dilemma.   
'Face your demon before it bites you, Cosmo,' he thought affectionately as he looked at his watch and sighed.   
"Duty calls," he muttered, so unenthusiastically that Cosmo's glare turned to a smug smile.   
"Don't have too good of a time, old man."   
"Smart ass," Vega declared as he turned toward the door. It was going to be a long, boring night.

***

Vega sighed as he mused about how precise his earlier prediction had been. Two, torturous hours had passed and he was scheduled for two more. Vega paused and tested one of the locked side entrances before continuing his rounds. His heart really went out to his fellow detectives who were pulling floor duty in the massive exposition center. Not were they only burdened with the tedium of blending in with the hob nob of Electro city, they had to wear tuxes on top of it.   
A smile came unbidden as Vega tested another set of double doors. Poor Rielly had been absolutely miserable with the assignment. There simply was no way the 6'5", 283 pd. detective could fit himself into a tux and make it look right. The man looked more like a gorilla going to a fancy dress party and the guys were quick to point that out.   
He thanked whatever forgiving force above that had allowed him to suffer this assignment in plain cloths. He despised tuxes. Who was he kidding... he just plain despised this assignment altogether. The trundling of a cart drew his attention back up the curving hall.   
One of the expo center's food service workers adjusted the ambling cart as he turned down a hall, disappearing from sight.   
Vega frowned. What was wrong with this picture? He paused thoughtfully, mind running over the building schematics he'd memorized the night before. The assignment might be the epitome of boring, but as with all his work, he took it seriously.   
That was it! That hall led neither to the expo floor nor the kitchen. If he remembered right, it led to nowhere other than the basement. Fingers releasing the restraining strap on his gun holster without conscious thought, Vega followed.

***

"How ya feel, bro?" Cosmo asked, helping Ace remove the ruined shirt, the magician wincing as the silk dragged over the fine cut.   
"Almost perfect," Ace mused sarcastically, craning about, trying to see the cut along his back.   
Cosmo shook his head and set to cleaning up the laceration with one of the many first-aid kits they kept on hand. Just in case.   
"It was a great show, Ace," he praised conversationally. "I'm really sorry about this. I've got maintenance doing a full overhaul on the emergency releases. It won't happen again."   
"I'm sure it won't, Cosmo. Accidents do happen, even to the best of us," Ace sighed as Cosmo finished with the bandage.   
"Not on you first show, they shouldn't," Cosmo grumbled. Ace stood up and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. Rolling his own shoulder he felt a slight twinge, but otherwise was satisfied.   
"First show or hundredth and first, accidents happen," he chuckled. "As long as you're having it checked out, I'm sure it won't happen again."   
"It won't, Ace," Cosmo, said managing a smile. "I promise."   
"So, how are you feeling?" Ace tried and sighed internally at the fleeting look of frustration that crossed his partner's face, to be buried beneath a cocky smile, but Ace saw it for the facade it was.   
"Never been better, dude," he assured cheerily. "Barring mishaps with the guillotines."   
Ace nearly pressed the issue, but stopped himself. Things had gone so well tonight, he saw no reason to open an old wound and ruin it. Instead, he smiled and fished around for a fresh shirt.   
"Any plans for this evening?" he asked as he found what he was looking for, pulling on his spare shirt.   
Cosmo shrugged noncommittally. "Ulene wants to go out, but I don't know..."   
"Am I interrupting?"   
Both looked up as Mona slipped into the dressing room, her smile, while subdued, was radiant.   
"Not at all, Mona," Ace assured, taking her hand and laying a gallant kiss to her wrist. "How did you like the show?"   
"It was wonderful, Ace. Please tell me though that the blood was fake," she sighed, arching an eyebrow at him.   
"Ah," Ace said softly, both he and Cosmo fidgeting like guilty school boys.   
"A small accident, nothing more," he assured as Cosmo made a point of studying the wall. Mona chuckled and shook her head at their display, not fooled at all.   
"I'm just glad it wasn't serious," she sighed, then continued lightly   
"I have a late dinner reservation at the LaOrange. I would enjoy some company."   
Ace looked down on her with a gentle smile.   
"I would be happy to accompany you," he stated and she nodded at his acceptance.   
"I'll wrap things up here for you, Ace," Cosmo offered. Ace frowned slightly. He fully believed in pulling his own weight on stage as well as off. While he was tired, he was hesitant to shrug off his responsibilities.   
"It's okay, Ace, go relax," Cosmo chuckled, noting his hesitant look. "Not like I haven't handled the stage hands before."   
Ace hesitated a minute longer, then nodded, accepting Cosmo's offer with an appreciative smile.   
"Thank you, Cosmo. Don't get stuck here all night."   
Cosmo snorted. "No chance, bud. Have a nice evening."

***

Vega paused at the basement door, listening intently. He could just make out the sound of the cart's wheels rolling to a rest, followed by a soft scuffling.   
Every instinct screamed trouble as he eased the door open, hand resting on his pistol. The door swung in with a protesting squeal that made Vega flinch as he stared in to the vast basement. Everything that kept the expo center running was down here. The heating, the water and all of the electrical controls. Pipes crisscrossed the ceiling and safety lights glowed from their steel cages mounted to the support pillars. The cart was resting near one such pillar, but no one was in sight.   
The gun moved smoothly into his hand as Vega slipped into the room. While his gut said trouble, he had to work with reasonable doubt.   
"Hello," he called, voice echoing in the mammoth room. "I know you're here, so come out," he tried. Perhaps he had caught a worker sneaking of for forty winks. 'Yea right,' he should be so lucky.   
There was no answer to his call and Vega tightened his grip, pushing the safety off. Okay, the hard way then. He proceeded to search the room, slipping from one pillar to another. Only the bangs and clangs of the machinery joined his own soft steps in the basements silence.   
"Bad move, cop." The sudden voice made him flinch. This was accompanied by the resounding ping of a canister landing at his feet. Acrid, yellow gas started to spew from its top even as he spun about. While his reflexes were top notch, the gas was faster. Vega screamed silently in frustration as the numbness seemed to sweep through him, stealing away any sensation and rendering his muscles useless as he crashed to the floor, gun skittering away into the quickly filling depths.   
There was a soft scuffle of feet behind him, and despite his best efforts, Vega couldn't so much as move his head to look. His attackers saved him the trouble, one of them kneeling down, a gas mask obscuring the thin man's features.   
Something seemed very familiar about him.   
"The time schedule just got moved up," he hissed, voiced distorted behind the mask. "Get moving,"   
There was more scuffling, but Vega was quickly losing interest. The numbness that pervaded his body now seemed to be reaching into his brain, drawing him into a warm, blissful nothingness.   
Vega was not the only one to succumb to the gas' effect. Within minutes the entire of the expo center was thrown into silent stillness interrupted only by the slinking shadows of the masked men as they went about their tasks.

***

"It really was a wonderful show, Ace," Mona commented lightly, as Ace held the chair for her. Once he was sure she was comfortable, he took his seat, resting his elbows on the table and propping his chin on his steepled hands, leaning forward to admire her beauty.   
"It went much better than I dared to hope," he admitted to her and her alone. She accepted the confidence with a private smile, reaching out and claiming one of his hands.   
"You make it sound like you were expecting the worst," she pointed out.   
"It does seem that way," he chuckled, taking a private pleasure in running his thumb over the back of her hand. When he looked into her eyes, he saw her patiently waiting for him to continue. This was one of the reasons Ace loved Mona so. She always seemed to know when he needed a friendly ear.   
"Things... have gone anything but smoothly as of late," he admitted at last.   
"I understand. How are you feeling?"   
Ace gave that one honest consideration. Mona deserved no less than the truth from him.   
"Real again," he chuckled, snapping his fingers and bringing a brilliant flame to life on their table's candle. Its soft light touched delicately at Mona's face.   
"Trying to impress me, eh?" she scolded with a smile. His eyebrows rose hopefully.   
"Yes, is it working?" he countered with such guileless sincerity that Mona laughed out loud.   
"I'm glad you're better, Ace, but something still seems wrong,"   
He ducked his head and studied her fine-boned hand.   
"Not everything's okay yet, Mona," he started hesitantly, then raised his gaze to her. "Not yet. I can't explain why, but things will still be rough for awhile."

Mona stared deeply into his eyes, with no malice at Ace's admission/omission. Usually, when he spoke in such convoluted terms, it meant subjects he was not comfortable discussing were involved. She could respect such secrets in him and him alone, for she knew the secrets he kept were never ones that would hurt her.   
"If there's anything I can do to help," she offered, bringing her other hand over to capture his. He accepted this offer with a slow nod, a smile spreading across his face as he captured her eyes, letting his gaze tell of his gratitude.   
"I know," he said softly, then laughed. "Now I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

***

Cosmo pulled off his helmet, dropping it across the handle bars as he attempted to fuss his hair into a semblance of order. The DNA Club was busy tonight. He watched the milling patrons as they came and went, the pounding rhythms of the music inside easily filtering to the parking lot.   
Things had gone surprisingly well during wrap up. While the crew rarely gave him any trouble, there was always occasionally one or two smartasses who thought they could give a seventeen year old assistant a hard time.   
'Try again,' Cosmo laughed to himself, taking some pride in those moments of confrontation. No one pushed him around. Ace knew of course, but always let Cosmo fight his own battles, much to Cosmo's gratitude.   
Yea, Ace was cool. The thought of his partner made Cosmo felt a little guilty. He knew he'd been a bit of a pain as of late.   
'Try again!' his conscience poked him. Okay.. he'd been a big pain as of late. He didn't mean to, but...   
That lead to thoughts he would rather not consider. Ace meant well and he hated how he lost his temper, but.. There was no good answer to it.   
'Talk to Ace. He wants to help.'   
It had been the message the little voice inside him kept offering and he keep sidestepping it. Looking up, he studied the people coming and going to the DNA, leading perfectly normal or close to normal lives. It was what he wanted, all he really wanted, despite his odd job and odd companions.   
Perhaps he would talk to Ace. Not about...well.. his supposed abilities, but maybe about other things. Maybe apologize for his less than sterling moods as of late, try to let his friend see that it wasn't anything personal. Yea, he did owe Ace an apology, as well as a thank you for his forbearance. He'd do that later, when he got home.   
Feeling somewhat better off for that decision, Cosmo left the magic bike and wove his way inside, pausing to let his ears adjust to the noise. Then he started searching for his friends in the living throng.   
"Hey, guys," Cosmo greeted his regular compatriots as he approached the booth they'd claimed in the corner, near the dance floor. Ulene smiled and scooted over to make some room for him.   
"Hi, handsome, how'd the show go?" she asked as he waved down a waitress.   
"Good, it went well, aside from a small mishap, it went well," Cosmo sighed, letting his relief that Ace's first comeback performance had gone off without any major problems show plainly on his face.   
"Hi, Cosmo," Jo-Jo, the only functional x-oshi allowed in Electro City greeted him warmly, doing a handstand from across the table where Hotchkis was sitting.   
"Hey, Jo-Jo."   
Cosmo couldn't resist tickling the ample, furry belly and Jo-Jo giggled, flipping easily out of his range and landing back on Hotchkis's massive shoulder.   
"Good, Jo-Jo," Hotchkis praised him warmly, the little robot basking in the attention.   
"You up to dancing?" Ulene asked. Cosmo made an exaggerated frown.   
"You going to hate me if I say no?"   
She laughed at his melodramatic tone.   
"No, you silly."   
Cosmo smiled. "Let me unwind a moment, then ask me again," he chuckled placing his order. "You'd think I wouldn't get so wound up after doing so many shows," he mused.   
"It's a serious job, Cosmo," Ulene assured. "Take your time, we've got all night."   
"Not me," Cosmo sighed. "We've got two more shows and they're all sold out."   
"So.. what's up with old Ace?" Lester asked from across the table.   
Cosmo barely gave the guy a glance as the waitress delivered their drinks. He didn't like the guy, but for some unknown reason, Ulene enjoyed his company, so the rest of them tolerated him.   
"Whatcha mean, Lessy?" Cosmo muttered, happily using Lester's despised nick-name.   
"This fruit cake that had him, heard he messed with your boss real good," Lester pressed, oblivious to the uncomfortable looks that passed around the table.   
"Not now, Lester," Hotchkis warned, his voice as calm as always, but his brow dipping menacingly.   
"Hey, hey, I'm just curious," Lester protested with a smile.   
Cosmo tried to ignore the little runt. Lester was probably the only person on the planet dense enough to ignore a warning from the massive bouncer.   
"I mean, I was just asking a polite question," he went on.   
Cosmo felt his chest tighten. Polite question his ass! Lester lived on gossip. He wasn't going to get any from him, that was damn sure.   
"I mean, he's okay, isn't he?"   
Cosmo cocked an eye at the solicitive concern that was anything, but sincere.   
"He's fine, Lessy," Cosmo returned softly. Lester nodded.   
"Good, good. After what happened, it's nice to know," Lester went on. "I mean the things you hear..."   
"Shut up, Lester," Cosmo warned, the pressure in his chest clenching at his heart as his temper rose. The last thing he needed right now was stinking, nosy, little Lester ruining his evening.   
"Oh, I'm sure they're not true... at least.. not all of them," Lester sneered.   
Cosmo was on his feet, Lester flinching back from his intense stare.   
"I said.. shut up!" Cosmo snarled. He planned to say more, a lot more, but the world shifted around him, tilting wildly. The weight in his chest turned to a white fire as a sheet of pain seared along his limbs in it's mad attempt to get free.   
He couldn't let it!   
Above all things, Cosmo knew he couldn't let it get out. With a ragged cry he pitched forward, catching himself with one hand on the table, the glasses shattering around him as his other hand clenched at his chest, the world hazing out in burning agony.   
No, no, no! He didn't want this!   
But he had it, and it was fighting to get free.   
Distantly, he became aware of voices calling his name and he vainly tried to answer, assure them, but it all came out in a gurgle as he felt strong hands lift him easily. Hotchkis, that had to be Hotchkis. There was slap and a cry, and Cosmo felt a warm spot in the tight pain in his chest. Ulene smacking Lester, he'd know the sound of that back hand anywhere.   
"What should we do, Hotchkis?"   
Her voice echoed hollowly across the undulating haze. If she said more it was beyond his comprehension as the world started slipping away from him.   
'Go away,' he thought desperately to the yellow fire flicking around him even as it consumed him. 'Please... just.. go away.'

***

Ace eased the Racer into the vehicle bay with a content smile. It had been a lovely evening. Mona's taste in restaurants was, as always, excellent, and as of late their time together had become more and more precious to him.   
Ace released the safety harness, the Racer's wheels touching down as the canopy lifted. He marveled at how tired he felt. The day had passed in such a blur that he had had little time to worry. To remember. It had been too long since he'd felt the weight of sleep without the dread of the dreams that would come. It was a good feeling. A feeling he intended to keep on enjoying.   
Offhandedly, he noted, that the Magic Bike wasn't back yet. Cosmo must be still out with his friends.   
Ace envied him the energy. For himself, he planned a get together with his pillow.   
'Your getting old, Ace,' he teased himself as Zina greeted him, the large panther temporarily trapping him by winding her nimble body about his legs.   
"Easy, girl," he laughed warmly, her massive bulk nearly tumbling him into a wall. She purred smugly, at last granting him his freedom as she continued her rounds of the train; as was her wont in the night time hours.   
Pulling off his cape, he tossed it into the living room as he passed by and turned to go to his bedroom. Only to bump into Ulene.   
A startled gasp left his throat as he stepped back, Ulene blinking up at him worriedly.   
"Ulene, what are you doing here?"   
"Hotchkis thought we should take him to the hospital, but I knew he'd rather be here," she started without preamble. Ace felt the blood rush from his face.   
Cosmo.   
Before Ulene could say another word he pushed passed her, pelting madly down the corridor that led to Cosmo's room.

***

Cosmo's eyes snapped open, wide and fevered as a sharp intake rattled through his body.   
Ace!   
Ace was here!   
The world around him was a mad riot of color and shapes, none of them making sense as he stared madly about. Where was he? Was he home? It didn't matter. He couldn't let Ace see him, not like this, not now. Ace would push again, try and make Cosmo see the changes happening in him, try and to get him to accept it.   
'_Accept it_,' the small voice urged in him.   
'No!' he spat back, fighting the very idea. 'I'm not different!'   
He had to leave, had to get away. He couldn't let Ace see him. Not like this, not like this!   
Cosmo cried out as his insides twisted, fighting his desperate attempt to get up. His whole system felt blown, burnt and shredded and still the power sat there, pushing, demanding, sending tendrils of fire along every nerve.   
No, no, no. He didn't want this!   
With mad determination he managed to get one arm beneath him, the world spinning out of control. He fought it, fought it all. The pain, the burning, the increasing pressure in his chest. So wrapped up in his messed world Cosmo never heard the door open.

Ace pushed impatiently past the opening door and froze. Cosmo was struggling weakly to rise from his bed, a mad trembling racking his limbs as he actually managed to prop himself up.   
"No, Cosmo," Ace urged, springing forward and easily pushing his partner back down.   
"Leave me alone," Cosmo hissed, not having the strength to fight and hating it.   
"Not a chance, Cosmo. What happened?" Ace demanded, gently brushing away the rogue red hairs that had fallen across his face.

Cosmo flinched, but lacked the strength to pull away.   
"I'm okay, Ace," he hissed, voice strained. "Just stress."   
"Don't lie to me, Cosmo.. please," Ace appealed softly. Cosmo's chest tightened and he fought it, a shudder tearing through him and washing the world out in a haze of yellow.   
"Cosmo?"   
He felt Ace's fingers brush across his face and it was a calm point in the storm. He focused on their warm, gentle touch, desperately attempting to ignore everything else.   
"I'm.. okay," he whispered "..okay."

Ace sighed and looked up to see Ulene standing in the doorway, her face a mask of worry. With a reassuring pat to Cosmo's hand he rose and gestured Ulene outside.   
As the door closed he asked the question that was burning in him.   
"What happened?"   
Ulene rubbed her hands together fretfully.   
"I don't know. Lester was bugging Cosmo and Cosmo got mad. That was when the seizure hit. He stood up and yelled at Lester, then clutched his chest," she explained, voice frightened. "It was like he was fighting something. Is he going to be okay?"   
'I wish I knew,' Ace thought ruefully to himself   
"He'll be okay, I'll see to that. Did anything else happen?"   
Ulene fidgeted more and her eyes darted about nervously.   
"Well, there was one thing that was weird," she started. "When Cosmo put his hand on the table, to catch himself, he must have hit the table hard because all the glasses shattered," she explained. "I mean, just.. shattered."   
Ace managed a reassuring smile for Ulene.   
"Thank you for bringing him here, you did the right thing," he said. "I'll make sure he's all right. You should be getting home, it's late."   
"No problem, Mr. Cooper, Could you call me, when he's better?" she asked hesitantly. Ace nodded.   
"Yes, I can do that," he replied and turned to guide her out.   
"It's okay, I know the way," she said in a rush, politely refusing his arm.   
"Just, call me when he's better.. okay,"   
Cosmo always said Ulene was very single minded and he was right.   
"I promise. Goodnight, Ulene, and thank you," he said with sincere gratitude. Seemingly satisfied Ulene turned, with one last distressed glance at Cosmo's door before heading for the exit.   
As soon as he heard the distant door close, Ace returned to the room. Cosmo hadn't so much as budged, but the trembling seemed to be easing slowly. Ace walked to the bed side and knelt so he was eye level with his partner. Cosmo ignored his presence.   
"Cosmo.. what happened?" he asked gently. Cosmo's eyes opened and flicked away.   
"Nothing," he hissed. Ace felt his temper rise at the teen's resistance. What would it take to make Cosmo see? He let the anger go in a long breath. Nothing would be gained by adding his frustration to the mix.   
"Ulene told me what happened, Cosmo," he pressed.   
"Stress," Cosmo muttered. Ace sighed, resting his hand on Cosmo's arm, fingers wrapping around the slender wrist. He felt the trip hammer pulse with a pang of dismay.   
"Cosmo, you can't deny it, it won't go away," he tried, gently squeezing the trembling limb. "It will only grow stronger... more dangerous."

'No, no, no! I don't want this.'   
"I'm okay Ace. Just stress." That was his story and he was sticking to it.

"What about the glasses, Cosmo? Ulene said they shattered when you put your hand by them?" Ace prodded. "You channeled the magic force Cosmo. You got angry and drew in the power without any way of controlling it. That's why you feel like this," Ace explained as well as probed.   
'Come on Cosmo. Let me help you.'   
Red ringed eyes flicked up to him, away, then back again. The fear in their depths was startling as tears of frustration gathered there. Ace felt a pang a sympathy. He knew the struggle his friend was going through. He understood it all to well.   
"I...I," The words seemed right there-- then they were gone. Cosmo shut his eyes and turned away, a rogue tear washing over his face and into the coverlet.   
"I'll be okay," he whispered.   
That was it. Ace was going to run straight into a wall screaming here in a minute. Not for the life of him could he remember a time Cosmo had been more stubborn. He let out a slow sigh. But then, he couldn't remember a time the teen seemed more scared.   
"I know a relaxation exercise, that will help with the... stress," he tried. If he couldn't get to the problem directly, perhaps he could find a back way in.

'_Let him help_,' the small voice that had been harassing Cosmo as long as Ace had whispered. But accepting help was admitting to it... wasn't it? But it hurt damn it. Why did it have to hurt?

There was a moment's hesitation, then the barest of nods.   
At last! Ace's hand tightened about Cosmo's wrist in silent support of his decision. It wasn't an admission, but at least the boy had finally accepted his help, if only a small amount.

***

Flynn hurried down to the basement where the boss was waiting, watching over one of the downed policeman. He burst into the room, bouncing with suppressed unease as the masked face turned his way, dark eyes glittering at him.   
"We've cleared everyone out. Everything's ready to go," Flynn said in a nervous rush as he addressed his employer. If he expected pleasure in those dark eyes he was disappointed. They remained cold as ice chips.   
"Good," his boss said simply, then jerked his chin down at the cop. "Bring him along, I have plans for him."   
Flynn looked nervously at the large cop, then back up at his boss.   
"You sure?" he asked hesitantly, flinching as the dark eyes locked on him.   
"Yes. See to it,"   
Flynn knew when to shut up and he did so promptly as his employer pushed past him.   
He looked down and the unconscious cop and sighed. "Glad I'm not you."   
Then he was off to find some rope and help.

***

Diamond moved through the men loading up the last of the catering trucks, treating them with utter disdain. He despised hired help. While there was a logic in using such riffraff-- they would not be easily traced back to the organization if the operation should fail-- he despised them all the same.   
He pulled his mask off, enjoying a breath of fresh air as he surveyed his crew. The blue tattoo decorating his right eye wrinkled with distaste. No, he didn't like hired help at all.

***

Ace simply fell on to the couch, rubbing at the bridge of his nose, feeling the tension make the muscles of his neck tick. Cosmo had finally fallen into a restless sleep. It had been worse than Ace had expected. The techniques he had Cosmo do should have eased his pain better. They had not. The spasms had lessened somewhat, but never totally left and the boy's heart still beat far too quickly.   
His worst fears had been confirmed by that. Cosmo was internalizing the power of the magic force. Denying it so strongly that the energy he drew into his body stayed there, tearing at the young man physically as well as mentally.   
It would kill him. It was that simple.   
The inadvertent damage done at the DNA club had been only a tip of the iceberg of the power Cosmo was holding back. It could not be held much longer.   
Zina nudged at him, but he didn't have the strength to pay her any mind. Disappointed, she sat and look at him, expression decidedly annoyed. He looked back and watched the twitch of whiskers.   
"What am I going to do?" he asked the panther. She blinked slowly, then nuzzled his leg a bit more insistently. With a tired smile he gave into her demands and scratched at one of her ears as he relaxed into the couch's depths.   
God, he was so tired. Why did this have to be so hard?   
Because it meant responsibility. Uniqueness. Danger. To yourself and others. It was no light burden to bear the working of real magic. That was why it was so hard. But he still didn't know what to do. And wouldn't find out this night as exhaustion dragged Ace's eyes closed. He put up only a token fight to the pleasant darkness that beckoned. Perhaps things would be clearer in the morning, he thought vainly. Perhaps.

Zina sniffed the suddenly limp hand, then huffed.   
So much for getting a little attention.   
The panther curled up in front of the couch and settled her heavy head across her paws. Perhaps Ace would be more obliging when he woke up.

***

"Sooo," Blackjack hissed expectantly as Diamond entered the vast interior of his personal office, trailed by Spade.   
For the first time this evening, Diamond actually smiled.   
"Everything went perfect, boss. Just as you planned. No problems."   
The smile that cut across Blackjack's face was as close to radiant as the deformed gangster could manage.   
"Good.. good. It's about time!"   
"There is one issue," Clockwise spoke up suddenly, from his unassuming place at Blackjack's side.   
Blackjack frowned. "What?"   
"For some reason we have a police detective tied up in the basement," Clockwise sniffed disdainfully, ignoring the look of pure murder Diamond threw at him.   
Blackjack nearly gagged.   
"A cop! You brought a cop here?" he screeched. "You fool, what were you thinking?"   
Diamond stepped forward with his most sincere smile. "Easy boss, he's a present for you," Diamond assured.   
Blackjack glared at him, eyes narrowing suspiciously.   
"This had better be good, Diamond." The threat was as tangible as a slap. Diamond knew better than to take such words lightly.   
"It is, boss. We have none other than Derek Vega downstairs," Diamond explained, pausing as Blackjack considered the implications.   
"Vega," Blackjack echoed softly.   
"You know how well him and Ace Cooper get along," Diamond urged, flinching at the black glower Blackjack graced him with.   
"I do know," he spat, then rubbed thoughtfully at his chin. "Vega would be fine bait for a trap."   
No one dared speak up as Blackjack considered the situation. Diamond gave Clockwise a smug smile, the wiry lieutenant ignoring him. Spade just waited, not quite comprehending what was going on, but knowing his friend Diamond had come up with something that might be fun.   
"Very well, Diamond. You may have your fun and set your trap. Take care of it," Blackjack announced with a smile. Almost as an afterthought he added.   
"I'm going to enjoy this."

***

A persistent buzzing filled his world and it was getting downright annoying. Unconsciously, Ace reached out to pummel the alarm clock and for some reason couldn't find it. And still the buzzing continued.   
"What the..." he muttered, unhappily shifting from the world of sleep to wakefulness. It was not a quick transition as Ace blinked blearily around the room. Ah, that was it, he had fallen asleep on the couch.   
Okay, so where was that damn buzzing coming from?   
"Ace," Angel called softly.   
He managed a thick hmmm, but didn't really think he could do much better at the moment.   
"There is an urgent call from detective Sam Jackson," Angel announced.   
For a minute Ace was tempted to have Angel take a message and go back to sleep. Why in the world would Sam Jackson call here? He never called. In fact, the only way Ace knew the man was because he was a friend of Vega's.   
Oh damn. That got his heart beating as Ace swung himself upright, Zina growling at him as he accidentally kicked her with a foot. The only possibly reason Jackson would call was if something had happened to Vega.   
"Sorry, girl," he muttered, then addressed Angel. "Let it through, Angel."   
The living room vid screen flickered, then filled with the image of the dark skinned detective.   
"Morning, Mr. Cooper, sorry to disturb you," Jackson offered apologetically as Ace managed to get to his feet. He gave his watch a brief glance and groaned internally. Six in the morning, way too early.   
None of his annoyance reached his voice however as he addressed the officer.   
"How may I help you Mr. Jackson?"   
Jackson hesitated and glanced away, as if checking who was around. That, did not make Ace feel any better.   
"Mr. Cooper, I know Derek's a friend of yours and comes to you for help on occasion. Is there any chance he's there with you?" Sam asked quickly and urgently.   
Ace shook his head. "No, he's not. What's happened?"   
"The Imperial Ball was robbed last night. They used gas to subdue everyone, then stripped them of their valuables. I don't need to tell you that the rich of the rich were there," Jackson explained. Ace knew that well enough. Vega had been complaining about the assignment for a week.   
"So, what's this have to do with Vega?" Ace pressed, confused.   
"He was working plainclothes duty during the ball. He's missing. Disappeared without a trace," Jackson elaborated. A cold fist of worry tightened around Ace's throat, rendering him speechless. It didn't matter, since Jackson continued.   
"Freidrichs thinks Vega had something to do with the robbery. That he assisted in pulling it off. The Captain refuses to believe that this robbery could have been pulled off without inside help."   
"Vega would never!" Ace spat in shock. Jackson looked absolutely ill at the accusation.   
"I know that. Hell, the whole damn department knows that, but Freidrichs needs a scapegoat and Vega's it. Mr. Cooper, if you know where he is or if he contacts you, please let me know. Freidrichs has ordered a full investigation and the longer Vega's gone the worst it looks."   
Ace ran a hand through his tousled hair, mind running wild. Where was Vega? Who had him and why?   
"Any ideas on who pulled off the robbery?" he asked, the question bouncing around his own brain. All Jackson could do was offer was a frustrated shrug.   
"We're reviewing the security cameras, but all the assailants had gas masks. Identification is nearly impossible," he sighed, at a loss.   
"Can you get me a copy of those security files?"   
A negative shake.   
"Not a chance. Freidrichs has ordered the files secured. If there was a way I would." Jackson apologized. Ace dropped his head in thought. Where to start?   
"I've got to go, Mr. Cooper, but if Vega contacts you..." he let the request hang and Ace nodded.   
"I'll have him contact you and thank you for letting me know what's going on," Ace returned. Jackson nodded once and the screen went blank.   
Ace rubbed his hands across his face in a desperate attempt to remove some of the weariness. This he did not need. No way in hell did he need this.   
"I can get you those files."   
Startled, Ace looked up to where Cosmo was leaning against the door frame. The teenager looked like death warmed over, pale and drawn, rubbing at his arms as if he were cold.   
"You should be in bed," Ace sighed, wishing Cosmo would for once do what was good for him. It was not to be.   
"I can get them," Cosmo reiterated, with a little more force. Ace studied him for a long moment, Cosmo meeting his eyes with a touch of defiance. There didn't seem to be much choice, given they had no other clues to start with.   
"You can hack the police computer?"   
Cosmo smiled and Ace sighed. He knew that smile. Cosmo not only could hack the computer, he had more than likely done so before.   
"Okay," he relented unhappily. "You get to work while I get us something to eat," Ace sighed. Cosmo managed a genuine grin and wandered toward the computer center, happy to have some distraction. Ace paused and looked at the dead vid screen with a troubled frown.   
"What trouble are you in, old friend?" he asked softly. The vid-screen had no answer, but then, neither did Ace. For now he would have to content himself with rustling up some breakfast. Hopefully the answers would follow.

***

"Easy, old man, no need to make this hard," Spade grumped as Vega fought him. While bound, gagged and blindfolded Vega was no man to take lightly. The large detective twisted and squirmed at every opportunity. Much to the annoyance of his captors.   
"I said hold still," Spade snarled as he wrestled Vega into the chair. Diamond came over and jerked off the blindfold, smiling into the enraged brown eyes that blinked at him with the sudden exposure to light. Briefly, Diamond turned his attention to Spade, a frown creasing his brow.   
"You're too nice," he spat at his companion, whipping out his gun slamming the butt of the weapon against Vega's cheek.

The world exploded into wall of light and pain as Vega's head was snapped back by the blow. He fought the disorientation and tried to glare back at his captors, feeling a trickle of blood roll down over his now aching cheek.   
"Behave," Diamond purred with a mocking smile.   
Vega fumed and lunged at the slender gangster, nearly gaining his feet when Spade's beefy grip caught him, slamming him back into the chair. A second later, Diamond's gun lashed out again. He was briefly aware of the pain as the world went from white to black with stunning suddenness.

"Get him secured," Diamond snarled, slamming his gun back in the holster. "I want this to look good," he sneered, moving to a camera mounted on a tripod.   
Spade gave Vega an annoyed back hand and started to lash the unconscious detective to the chair.   
"So," Spade started conversationally. "What's the plan?"   
Diamond fussed with the focus for a moment before answering.   
"Simple, we lure Cooper here and we kill him."   
Spade pondered this for a moment. While he accepted that Diamond was the smarter of two of them, there seemed to be a flaw in this plan.   
"Haven't we tried that before?" he asked uncertainly. Diamond smiled. It was not a pleasant sight.   
"I hired a little extra help. Things will be, shall we say, difficult for Cooper," he answered, returning to his work.   
Spade smirked. He liked it when Diamond said things like that.   
"What about him?" he asked, nodding down to Vega. Diamond shrugged.   
"Once we have Cooper, we don't need him. You can take care of that," he answered dismissively.   
Spade patted Vega on the shoulder as if congratulating a friend.   
"Thanks, Diamond," he said sincerely. Spade enjoyed many things. Killing cops was high on that list.

***

"Eat it, Cosmo."   
"But, Ace.. I'm not.."   
"Cosmo."   
Cosmo sighed and relented, nibbling at some of the breakfast Ace had brought for them, getting toast crumbs on the forward keyboard. Ace, sitting on the console beside him, gave a satisfied nod and returned his attention to the main screen. It had been ridiculously easy to break into the police headquarters. But then, Cosmo mused, it had been easy the last time. Ace had only had one of those amused looks on his face while his partner had done his work.   
"Why'd they secure these files?" he asked, discreetly pushing the plate away. "There's nothing useful in them anyway."   
Ace, not so discreetly, shoved the plate back.   
"Freidrichs wants a scapegoat. These files might ruin his plans to pin this one on Vega. Now eat."   
Cosmo glared at Ace to no avail. He was feeling better, not good, not by a long shot, but better. That fact, however, didn't keep his stomach from rebelling against the thought of food. He looked up pleadingly and Ace stared back down, implacable.   
Okay, okay, so Ace knew what was best. Still didn't mean it made him happy.   
"Man," he muttered, going back to his nibbling.   
Ace smiled, ever so briefly, then frowned. He leaned forward slightly as the video continued. It was the receiving bay and while all the men still wore their masks, one man had taken his off; back to the camera.   
"There," Ace hissed, hitting the pause. Cosmo looked up in surprise.   
"What?"   
"Key it back, frame by frame," Ace demanded without explanations. With a shrug Cosmo did so, slowly rolling the video back.   
"Stop."   
Ace vaulted his long legs over the computer console and went up to the screen, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.   
"What, man?" Cosmo asked, at a loss. "You can't see anything, the guy's back is to the camera."   
Ace studied the man's back. Dressed in the same dark clothing as his compatriots, he was thin, with close crop straw colored hair which, in the dim light, looked closer to brown. Not an unusual build, nothing unusual about him at all, but something about the stance was familiar.   
"Can you zoom in?" he asked softly. Puzzled, Cosmo shrugged and did so.   
"Wait a second, let me get it cleaned up," he called as the image enlarged then enhanced. Ace stepped closer, arms over his chest as he glared at the screen.

What was it about this picture that was niggling at his brain? What was it?   
"How could I be so blind," Ace laughed depreciatively, as he finally found what he was looking for. The man's back was turned to the camera, but his head was not. It was twisted ever so slightly right exposing an odd discoloration along one cheek. The dark point was barely visible, but now that Ace had found it, it was as big as a billboard.   
"Diamond," he spat.

Cosmo sat up and stared.   
"You sure?" he asked. It could be Diamond, but it could be a lot of guys. Spade was the easier of the duo to pick out in a crowd. If it wasn't for Diamond's tattoo, he'd be near impossible to find.   
"I'm sure," Ace sighed, not at all happy with the discovery. "Blackjack has Vega."   
"Oh man," Cosmo whispered in dread. "We've got to rescue him," he blurted rising from his seat. Ace shook his head, wandering back to the console, brooding.   
"Blackjack won't keep him at the Palace. We still don't know where he is?"   
"But, Ace..." Cosmo protested, then froze. "He's setting up a trap for you."   
It suddenly made way too much sense. Ace nodded.   
"Undoubtedly. The fact that Vega was at the Imperial Ball was just good timing. Blackjack doesn't believe in passing up a golden opportunity."   
"Oh man," Cosmo muttered, now really losing his appetite.

***

"Finished," Diamond announced, pulling the digital CD from the camera as a crash resounded through the storage bay. Startled, he looked up to see Spade struggling with the cop who'd obviously come to. Vega had managed to tip the chair over, the paltry wood shattering on impact as the cop and gangster struggled on the floor.   
"He will be a problem, perhaps we should get rid of him," Diamond debated thoughtfully, strolling up as Spade delivered a stunning back hand.   
Vega's head crashed into the wood floor from the impact, body going limp once again. Spade studied the unconscious cop in annoyance, rubbing at his hand.   
"You sure we should get rid of him?" he asked. While he looked forward to killing the cop, he'd rather forgo the pleasure if it meant not facing an angry Blackjack if the plan should go awry.   
"I mean, won't Cooper be able to tell if we don't have him?" They'd run across Cooper's resources before, that and his damn magic. Always to their detriment.   
"Hmmm, I've taken precautions against electronic surveillance," Diamond mused as he placed the CD in an envelope, with a nod to a young kid bustling about with some equipment in the corner. It looked like a portable computer unit with a transmitting dish.   
"If he gets loose, he'll be trouble," Diamond added distastefully.   
"Yea, he is a pain. But will Cooper come if we don't have him here?" Spade pressed uncertainly, as Diamond pushed past him. He hopped out of the way. Diamond had a tendency of hitting him when he argued with him and he didn't want to get hit. Not only was it embarrassing, it hurt. His partner was stronger than he looked.   
Diamond's attention was elsewhere, though, as he reached out and caught the hem of Vega's coat collar, ripping it violently off.   
"All Cooper needs is to think is that we have him. He won't be satisfied till he come sees for himself and by then... it'll be too late," Diamond hissed, rubbing the rended cloth between his finger.   
"A little extra proof however, never hurt." He held the fabric up for emphasis, then nodded toward Vega. "Take care of him. He's served his purpose. I'm going to go deliver the package."   
Spade shrugged. What Diamond said did seem to make sense and he wasn't in the mood to argue anyway.

***

"Anything?" Ace sighed as he reentered the control room. Cosmo shook his head, slouched heavily in the captain's chair, tearing up little pieces of print out paper and tossing them at the screen. The entire keyboard was covered in little white balls. "Angel's still correlating. Blackjack owns a lot land in Electro City," he returned, looking over his shoulder.   
"You have any luck?"   
"No," Ace sighed. "Detective Jackson says nothing new has been discovered. I told him what we found and he's looking into it."   
There was no missing the note of bitterness in Ace's voice.   
"Freidrichs?"   
"Freidrichs."   
Must be bad. Ace made the man's name sound like a curse. Cosmo yawned and went back to attacking the monitor.

Ace lounged against the back of Cosmo's seat, studying the growing mess.   
One finger reached out and twirled lazily, then folded back. The brigade of paperwads lifted smoothly off the keyboard and came sailing easily at Ace's command back to their creator.   
"Hey," Cosmo protested, swatting at the incoming storm as he became peppered in the little white nuisances. Ace smirked slightly at the indignant look thrown his way.   
"You should get back to bed," he said lightly. It was more than likely a futile observation, but he had to make the effort.   
"We both should," Cosmo shot back. "But since I know a certain magician who doesn't intend to..."   
"You're being stubborn," Ace grumbled. Cosmo craned his head back and grinned.   
"Yep."   
It was a declaration Ace could do without. He was about to enter in his rebuttal when the door chime sounded.   
'Now what?' he wondered darkly.   
"Angel?"   
"It appears a package has been left for you, Ace," she reported.   
Ace and Cosmo stared at each other for a stunned moment before they both took off running for the entrance way.   
"What is it?" Cosmo asked, peering over Ace's shoulder as he bent down and carefully lifted the small packing envelope. Turning it over carefully, Ace slid a finger under the tab, inspecting the contents.   
"A CD," he said softly, with a frown. "Angel, did you capture an image of who delivered this?"   
Angel formed beside Cosmo at the Magic Express's door.   
"I did not manage a full image capture of the person in question, but there is a partial image on the security cameras."   
Ace's hand tightened around the envelope. "Better than nothing. Save the image in the archives," he muttered, stepping back inside and facing Cosmo, the CD held between his fingers. "Let's find out what's on this."

***

Vega ignored the heavy thump that rolled through the truck and sent him sliding sideways into the bed wall. The world had returned with a vengeance. The cadence in his aching brain keeping pace with his heart as he found himself once again blindfolded and still gagged and bound.   
He was currently trying furiously to get himself free. Much to his dismay, it wasn't working.   
'Come on, you old fool, you can do better than this,' he thought darkly, the gag restricting the more colorful words he wished to express. It took a bit of effort, but Vega got himself upright, cheek resting against the rough, cold metal.   
Rough?   
Using his cheek to feel the corrugated folds of the transport truck, he inspected the section of wall. While most of the indents were relatively smooth there was one spot where two pieces of metal were seamed, rivets locking the metal sections together.   
'Bout time', he thought and started to work on catching the edge of the blindfold on the rough seam edge. It might not grant him his freedom, but he sure as hell was going to die with his eyes open.

***

The heavy weight of worry in Ace's gut turned to one of complete dread as Angel accepted the CD, the main screen coming to life.   
"Vega," Cosmo hissed, his tone mirroring Ace's distress as the image of his old friend came into chillingly clear focus. He was bound and gagged, white hair disheveled, slumped forward, body startlingly lax as blood oozed across his face over a darkening bruise on the left cheek.

Cosmo risked a quick look at Ace, but the older man's face was a mask. Cold, distant and not at all pleasant. It sent a chill through him that only aggravated the tickling pressure growing once again in his gut.   
"If you want him, you'll have to come and get him," a voice taunted off screen. There was no missing that oily tone. Diamond.   
"We will make it simple. Come to Electro City railyard, storage bay three. Instructions will be waiting for you. If not..."   
The tell tale hum of a pulse pistol charging up came over the mike half a second before a shot was loosed, tearing by Vega's ear and scorching the already abused cheek, and lifting some rogue white hairs in its passing   
The video ended abruptly, leaving only static.   
"Those bastards!" Cosmo roared, clenching his fist. He spun on his partner.   
"Come on, we've got to get him," he demanded. Ace didn't move for a moment, brow furrowed, flooring his companion by his absolute lack of action.   
"What's wrong, dude? It's Vega!" Cosmo said as if pointing out the obvious.   
"Yes.. it is. This is a trap, Cosmo. Vega may not even be at the Railyard," Ace said slowly, torn over what needed to be done. Cosmo stared at the blank screen, then back at Ace.   
It sure looked like a storage bay. They'd used them themselves from time to time for equipment storage. But Ace was right, it was a trap, but still... it was Vega. He stifled a groan as the tickle turned to a smoldering white fire, fighting to ignore the feeling. He had to think here, there had to be a way.   
Ace beat him to it.   
"Angel, is there any background noise?" Ace asked suddenly.   
"Checking." Seconds dragged out before Angel answered.   
"I was able to locate two distinct background sounds. I shall boost them," she reported. They listened closely as the over amplified crackle filled the room, punctuated by a low rumble and a distinct thump.   
"Is it a train, Angel?" Ace asked softly.   
"It does match the decibel range of the Magic Express's own engine, Ace," Angel returned. "There is no way to be completely certain, but a train would be a likely match,"   
"So he is there," Cosmo said, not sure whether to be relieved or not.

"He was there. Whether he still is or not is the question," Ace snarled. What choice did he have? If Vega was there, his old friend's life would be very much in danger and if he wasn't.... Then it would be a trap with no goal and Vega would still be in danger, if not dead, but he would not know either way until he got there.   
"We've got to go, Ace," Cosmo decided, eyes pleading. Ace looked back at his young friend, studying him closely. Vega was not his only worry.   
"I have to go alone, Cosmo," he announced, hating the words even as they left his lips. It was like a smack in the face of his partner. Stunned, Cosmo simply stared at him for a moment.

"What?" Cosmo hissed faintly.   
"I won't take you with me, Cosmo," Ace answered, softly, firmly. Cosmo flinched as his gut twisted and he fairly screamed.   
"Why the hell not!"

"I will not put Vega's life before yours!" Ace shot back, a bit more harshly than he intended. But time was quickly slipping away from them.

"Damn it, Ace. I'm okay. I'm going with you," Cosmo argued, the small voice inside him calling him a liar. Not for the first time he ignored it. "We don't have time for this," he spat and went to push past Ace when the older man grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning him around to face him.   
"What do you feel?" Ace demanded urgently.   
The answer came by rout." I don't feel anything."   
"Don't lie to me!"   
Cosmo froze. Completely and utterly froze.   
Ace had yelled at him.   
Ace had never yelled at him. Only his father had yelled at him. His father had always yelled at him for anything... for nothing. He was unaware of the trembling starting through him at the very memory of his father's mistreatment.   
With a feeling sick dread, Cosmo looked into Ace's eyes, expecting to see the same disgusted loathing that had always been in his father's gaze.   
It was not there. Expressive gray eyes met his, filled with nothing, but fear and worry and love. It was the fear that broke through the barrier in his brain. Ace was afraid... afraid for him.

"I'm sorry Cosmo," Ace whispered gently, knowing he'd gone too far, but Cosmo had to understand why.

The gentle apology was too much and Cosmo felt the fight drain out of him with a sob. He dropped his head miserably.   
"Burns inside.... like at the DNA club," he confessed softly. "I'm sorry, Ace."

Ace felt the tension leave his body as he drew Cosmo into a hug, wrapping his arms tight around the trembling form.   
"That's why I can't take you with me. I'm sorry I yelled, Cosmo," he apologized softly, trying to ease some of the pain he'd unintentionally caused. He released Cosmo and stared at him frankly, the teen not quite meeting his gaze.   
"I won't put Vega's life before yours, Cosmo. I won't. If I go, you have to promise me to stay here. The more you lose control of your emotions, the more you lose control of the magic, and that will only make things worse, possible lethal for you. Do you understand me, Cosmo?" he asked desperately.   
'Please, Cosmo.. for once listen'

Cosmo looked at the floor, then up in indecision. He was starting to understand what Ace was saying. But they were a team, he wanted to be there for Ace.   
'_And being there could very well be what could get Ace killed_,' the little voice inside reminded him. He shivered at the mere idea. It was one of Cosmo's oldest fears. That he would get Ace killed.   
"I want to help" he said uncertainly. He couldn't just do nothing.

Ace nodded slightly.   
"I know. Help me by staying here, monitoring things. You're too close to losing what little control you have left, Cosmo. If you won't promise to stay here where I know you'll be safe, I will not go." He tightened his grip on uncertain shoulders.   
"It is too dangerous for you, in more ways than one, Cosmo."   
A moment of silence hung between them and Ace worried, until Cosmo met his gaze again, a new comprehension forming in the pale depths.   
"I... I think I understand," Cosmo started slowly. "I'll stay here, Ace, I promise."   
Ace dropped his head in relief, then looked up again.   
"Thank you, Cosmo," he offered sincerely. "I'll get Vega."   
Cosmo attempted a small smile.   
"I know you will, bro. Go get him."

***

The truck stopped abruptly, sending Vega forward with the sudden shift in momentum, as the vehicle rocked from Spade's departure. There was a rattle and a click, and Vega flinched as the dark interior of the bed was suddenly flooded with light.   
"Hey," Spade exclaimed annoyed. "Where's your blindfold?"   
It was on the floor, right where Vega had left it. He had been making progress with getting his hands free, slowly loosening the knots, but it seemed time had run out for him.   
The large thug sighed and stepped up, getting a good double fisted hold on the detectives coat, hauling him upright.   
"Guess it won't matter where you're going," he muttered, pulling Vega out. The older man getting his feet awkwardly under him despite the restrictive bindings.   
Vega gave the area a quick, scrutinizing look. They were at the emergency run off aqueduct for the city reservoir. Out of the way, unvisited and undisturbed.   
Yea. A good place to dump a body. As long as there wasn't any sudden downpours, no one would find a corpse here for a good long while.   
"Come on," Spade rumbled, pushing him toward the aqueducts lip. Vega stared down the long cement slope to the litter filled bottom, punctuated by fetid pools of stagnate water. A shiver went over his skin as a pulse pistol charged up behind him. A second later the cold barrel rested against the base of his skull, the hairs of his neck rising.   
"Any last words, cop?" Spade asked, with malicious amusement.   
'Think fast, Vega,' Vega urged his brain, ignoring the comment. 'Real fast!'

"Didn't think so," the strong arm chuckled at his own inane joke, finger sliding to the trigger. Spade liked this part of the job. Steadying his aim, he took a brief second to appreciate the moment. Nice, quick and easy.   
At least, it should have been.   
"Hey!" Spade proclaimed in protest as the detectives body went suddenly limp, folding up like a puppet with cut strings onto the ground at his feet.   
"What are you doing?" he demanded, the gun keeping on the suddenly still body. The cop did nothing, made no noise and barely seemed to be breathing. There wasn't even the slightest twitch as he nudged Vega hard in the ribs.   
Cautiously, Spade knelt down and caught Vega's chin, turning his face toward him.   
"Well, I'll be," he chuckled in disgust. "You fainted. Diamond won't believe me when I tell him this."   
Still kneeling, Spade checked his gun, grinning.   
"Don't matter to me," he explained to the still body. "You're still going to..... Ouff!"

Vega came to life, legs lashing out violently toward Spade's head, the hard heeled shoes connecting with the gangster's equally hard head.   
There was an unintelligible gurgle as Spade hit the ground with a resounding thud, head ringing like a church bell. Vega spun on his back, forcing his body to bend in ways that a man his age shouldn't have had to bend. He got his feet under him and got himself upright as Spade slowly ambled to his feet, holding his severely abused head.   
'Thank you very much,' Vega thought with no recriminations whatsoever as Spade lined up right in his sights. He couldn't get a running start , but he could and did use the strength in his legs to hurl himself at Spade. Body crashing into the large man's midriff, Spade went cartwheeling backward. A sharp, loud crack echoed through the aqueducts as the dark haired man slammed into the truck, head snapping back and colliding into the metal side.   
It was too much. Thick as Spade's skull was, it knew when to give up the fight. Vega watched with distinct satisfaction as the hulking hit man slide to the ground, a blissful look of utter unconsciousness on his face.   
Looking about quickly, Vega spotted a course edge on the delivery truck's bumper and rolled himself upright again, slowly inch worming his way to it. Spade wouldn't stay out forever and there wasn't a second to lose.

***

The engines cut out with a last defiant roar as the Magic Racer settled on its wheels, canopy opening in the silence of the railyard.   
Ace studied the rows of warehouses with an expectant eye. Nothing was ever what it seemed and this railyard was not as empty as it appeared.   
"Ace?" Cosmo's voice came over his com, slightly distorted.   
"Here. Nothing so far. I'm outside of bay three," Ace reported jumping down, cape settling around him.   
"Something's weird here, Ace," Cosmo returned, voice hinting at some disturbance. "I'm getting some odd readings. They're getting stronger."   
"Anything you can pinpoint?" Ace started toward bay three, as instructed. While it's designation was no. three, it was actually the first in a row of warehouses.   
"Cosmo?" Ace queried at his partners sudden silence. Pausing, Ace tapped the booster in his wrist unit, trying again.   
"Cosmo, you there, buddy?"   
Static was his only answer and an odd tell tale distortion over the unit. He was not surprised, but hardly happy with the loss of contact with his partner. Ace let his arm drop. Signal blocker. Such equipment was not beyond Blackjack's ability to acquire.   
Like it or not, he was on his own.   
Without further hesitation, Ace went to the unadorned warehouse door, pausing cautiously. From now on, anything and everything could be a trap. So, he would by pass it. Bringing his hands together, they separated revealing his walking stick. The unassuming piece of wood touched the asphalt as it grew, seemingly of its own accord, lifting Ace into the air and pole-vaulting him gracefully unto the roof. Where he rolled forward hastily as the air came alive around him with gunfire.   
Ace berated himself for not thinking of this, as he felt the hot brush of plasma shot. Continuing his forward tumble, he pushed against the tar paper roof, rising up even as he removed his cloak. Ace flung it away, the silk cloth reaching out like a bird of prey toward the roof's lone gunman.   
The man made the mistake of tracking the incoming sheet of fabric, peppering it with shots till Ace introduced him to his error with a double fisted blow to the back of the head. The man hit hard and stayed still.   
Pausing long enough to kick the weapon away, Ace lifted his damaged cloak, then cast it aside. He wished to neither waste the time or energy to repair it and opted to head to the roof access.

***

"Talk to me, Angel," Cosmo demanded, pacing the computer room with barely restrained agitation. Angel dimmed, then brightened as she accessed all of her system abilities.   
"I am sorry, master Cosmo, but I can neither raise Ace, nor gain access to the Magic Racer. The signal disturbance appears to cover the whole of the railyard."   
Cosmo's fist slammed into the console top and he swore fluently. Not good, not good at all. Every nerve itched to grab the bike and follow, but he'd promised Ace. A real serious promise.   
"Keep working on it, Angel," he spat, turning toward the door. "I'm going to the lab, see if I can work up some kind of booster." It might not work, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing. The door slid open and he crashed headlong into a disheveled and breathless Vega.   
"What are you doing here?" they demanded in tandem, Cosmo staggering back. Running into Vega was like running into a wall.   
"I came here to find out where Ace went. I couldn't raise him," Vega started.   
"Man, he's at the railyard, how don't you know that, you were there?" Cosmo spat indignantly.

Vega glared at him.   
"Yea, blindfolded ninety-nine percent of the time. Just cause they had me, didn't mean they were real inclined to keep me well informed, and I wasn't exactly awake when Diamond made his little home movie," he shot back angrily. He was mad enough as was for letting this whole mess get started. Oh, hell , he was furious. Vega was half tempted to toss in his badge, after he got this mess sorted out. He really didn't need Cosmo playing holier than thou, his own conscience was doing that job nicely.   
"The railyards you said? What was the message? I assume it was sent here."   
"That he was to wait for instructions," Cosmo hissed, pulling up the video. Vega's cheek twitched as he watched it, eyes narrowing.   
"So all of this was, is one big wild goose chase," Cosmo growled. Vega nodded unhappily.   
"'fraid so. Though I'm pleased to have ruined their plans where I was concerned. Now to help Ace do the same. Do you have a map of the rail yard?"   
Cosmo hit the key board quickly and a satellite picture came into existence.   
"Damn, that place is big. They could have him running all over it. Have you been in contact?"   
Cosmo let out an aggrieved sigh.   
"We lost contact, the whole area's blanketed with a signal disrupter. He's in there somewhere, but I just don't know where." He looked absolutely miserable with the fact.   
Vega was rubbing at his bearded chin, the older man deep in thought. "Even if I call backup right now, they'll take to long," he muttered to himself looking up as he came to a decision. Not that he had many options.   
"Come on. I'll call back up, but we've got to get down there and find Ace before Diamond springs his trap."   
"What do you mean before?" Cosmo growled, gesturing to the console. "We've already lost communication."   
"Yea, and we could lose more. Diamond's got help on this one and a whole damn railyard to play in, now come on. I'm surprised Ace managed to keep you here," Vega spat, turning, pausing only when he saw Cosmo wasn't following.   
"Are you coming?" he demanded hotly. Cosmo clenched his fist then released them in frustration.   
"I can't! I promised Ace I would stay here," he confessed angrily.   
"What?" Vega said, somewhat surprised. While Cosmo never really went against Ace's orders, he'd on more than one occasion warped the rules to suit his needs. Especially when he thought his partner to be in trouble.

"Ace made me promise to stay here, Vega. It was important to him," Cosmo explained, not really wanting to go into the details.   
"Look, Cosmo, that's all well and good, but I'll need your help to find Ace at the railyard. There's perhaps a hundred warehouses and I don't doubt they'll run him around if nothing else to soften him up a bit. We have to find him first,." Vega argued.   
Cosmo snorted. "Just follow the sound of the explosion, Vega, you'll usually find Ace in the middle of it," he shot back defiantly. Ace had made him promise for a reason.   
"And what if they've already taken him down, Cosmo? What if he's hurt? Do you want to take that chance?" Vega pressed.   
"Do you want to feel it when he dies?"

Vega regretted the words even as they rang in his ears. It was a low blow and he knew it as Cosmo stepped back in surprise, eyes widening. He took a step forward to apologize, but Cosmo cut off his advance with a viscous slash of his hand.   
"Back off, Vega," he snarled. "I promised Ace."   
Vega ran a hand across his face, letting out a gusting breath.   
"I know, Cosmo. I hate to make you go against your promise, but this is Ace's life we're talking about here. I need all the help I can get to find him. To help him fight the small army Diamond has raised against him." Vega pushed, throwing his heart and soul into the argument. "Please, it's Ace's life."

Cosmo wavered, feeling his gut twist. Vega was right, they knew it was a trap, but Ace had insisted. He'd promised not to go because Ace didn't want to risk his life for Vega's. But Vega was safe, didn't that release him from the promise?   
'_Yea, right_,' the voice of reason spat. Ace would still be mad, but now it was his life on the line. They were partners. Ace had never hesitated to put his life on the line for him. Didn't he owe Ace the same?   
"You get to explain this to Ace," Cosmo hissed suddenly, jabbing his finger in Vega's face as he pushed past.   
"Gladly," Vega returned, hot on his heels. "Let's just find him first."

***

Ace paused long enough to let his eyes adjust to the dim interior of the warehouse. Very little was visible from his perch on the overhead catwalk. Below, crates and boxes formed the walls of a maze, their patterns only disturbed by the narrow channels formed by the forklifts.   
He was moving again. Down the stairs and to the warehouse floor. Off, in the far corner, a light shone brilliantly from behind a high wall of crates. He held no hope that Vega was there, but perhaps a clue to his location would be.   
Following the twist and turns, wary of every small sound, Ace made his way through the maze to a small cubby hole where a little note lay forgotten on the floor.   
"Ah, so there is clue," he sighed, utterly unenthused as he lifted the note. The message was short and sweet.   
-Backdoor and left..... if you can.-   
Ace frowned. "If I can...." he mirrored thoughtfully, then heard it. A soft hiss coming from above.   
'Gas!' Being pumped into the venting system. He was already moving, running through the twist and turns of the high crate walls as a settling miasma started to fill the mammoth interior.   
No good, he wouldn't reach the door in time. Already Ace felt the burning touch of the gas on his lungs. He needed to clear a path. Forcing himself to stop and clear his mind, Ace lifted his arms, drawing the power in. Hands moving with an orchestra conductor's grace, he shaped the magic to his will. Crates lifted, shifted, and slid aside roughly in his hasty casting, exposing a clear trail to the back wall and the door that was nestled there.   
The door erupted outward as Ace stumbled into the light, falling to his knees as deep coughs wracked his body. Even while fighting to regain his lost breath, he was on the alert for any attacker, but much to his delight, no armed man was waiting. Thusly reassured, Ace concentrated on not coughing up a lung as his body rebelled against the gas in his system.   
Okay, what was next in this wild goose chase? He pressed his com.   
"Cosmo?" It was a slim chance, but worth a shot. The static was still his answer, but he didn't let it faze him. He had worse things to worry about. Rising to his feet, Ace, steadied himself as another cough tore from his throat. He sniffed, rubbing at his stinging eyes. Briefly studying the drifting smoke from warehouse three's door he let his vision scan the area.   
Backdoor and left the note had said. So left Ace went.   
Eyes always on the move, Ace made it to the next warehouse down, pausing at the man door. In the distance a train whistled and he waited out the noise.

***

Through hidden cameras mounted high on the warehouse drains, Diamond watched it all with grim amusement. Cooper had survived the first warehouse. That really didn't surprise him. Not at all. The gas had been meant to be a nuisance, not a serious attack. Now... Now, it was time to get down to business.   
Dark eyes glittered, studying Ace waiting in front of warehouse fours man door.   
"Blow it," he ordered softly to the lackey at the portable computer. The kid commanding the keyboard looked at him briefly, then shrugged, flipping the switch.

***

The click was the only warning Ace had as every instinct screamed danger. He brought his hands up instinctively, a glittering gold shield forming as the door blew outward in a jet of fire, crashing against the magical barrier. Ace was sent careening back from the kinetic discharge, falling against the gravel path of an abandoned rail line as a hot wave of heat washed over him.   
Head swimming from the sudden blow, Ace just caught a glimpse of movement beyond the smoke as people emerged from the ruined entryway, guns raised. Trusting his gut he rolled as the first shots kicked up stones in his wake.   
This... was getting annoying. Coming out of the tumble to his feet, Ace spun on his attackers. Three men, who he didn't recognize, moved their rifles in his directions. Surprisingly, his attention wasn't on them, but the ruined door laying at his feet was. It lifted with a flamboyant gesture. Hovering just at Ace's finger tips as he glared at his attackers.   
"Allow me," Ace hissed, "to get the door for you."   
With that the twisted chunk of metal went sweeping in on the gunmen who blanched at its approach. Only one of the three men had the good sense to duck as the other two were swept backward, landing in a heap beneath the steel door. They showed no inclination to get up as their third compatriot looked up to see Ace fleeing down the way.   
Ace heard the man distantly behind him as he passed one warehouse, then another. The next warehouse in the suit brought him skidding to a halt. Hanging on the door handle was a piece of cloth. Ace snatched up the fabric. Blue-gray, the color of Vega's coat. Either he was getting close or this was simply bait for another trap. Either way, he couldn't ignore it.   
Nor could he ignore the gun fire that strafed in front of his face, peppering the steel warehouse wall. Ace spun about as the lone gunman came charging. Ace's hand went out and the gravel ground came to life, shifting and rolling as the small granite pebbles moved as liquid as the sea. The gunman let out a course cry as his formerly firm ground slipped out from under his feet, sending him crashing hard to the earth, gun bouncing away.   
Ace glared darkly as the man rolled onto his backside, rubbing his jaw. He looked at the gun, then looked at Ace. The decision came quickly as he scrabbled against the gravel and fled.   
Ace let out a heavy breath of relief and paused to gather his strength. Running the fabric between his hands, he studied the man door in front of him. Every sense screamed trap. As if he wasn't aware of that! He could only pray it wouldn't be in vain and that Vega was still alive. Allowing himself another minute's rest, Ace wrapped his hand around the door handle and without further thought, opened it.   
Stepping through, Ace paused over the threshold as the door swung softly shut behind him. There was a moment's silence, then softly, the shuffling of feet amongst the large freight crates.   
"I'm here, Diamond," Ace called into the dimly lit interior.   
"Yes, so I noticed," Diamond answered from across the room, at the top of one particularly large stake of crates. The blond man cocked his head down at the magician, no humor in the smile that graced his face.   
"Take him, boys,"   
"Magic force, reveal the power within in!"   
And so the battle was joined.

***

The confiscated delivery truck slid unsteadily as Cosmo brought it to a jarring halt beside the Magic Racer. Not far in the distance was warehouse three, still surprisingly in one piece. Vega was already off and heading toward the building as Cosmo called out.   
"Ace, dude, where are you?" His voice echoed back to him in the silence punctuated only by the distant train whistles.   
"Whoa!" Vega's cry jerked his attention as the lieutenant staggered back from the door he'd just opened. A hazy green smoke drifted out as the older man backtracked hastily, gun raised.   
"Ace, you in there?" he called uncertainly. There was no answer and Cosmo caught up with him, looking around in agitation, gut twisting.   
"What is it?" he asked, jerking his chin toward the putrid smoke.   
"Looks like tear gas, possibly worse," Vega muttered, eyes still roving about. "I'm not going to take a deep breath and find out."   
Cosmo was with him on that one as they backed away. Uncertainly they moved down the rail yard cause way.   
"Ace!" Vega shouted. Still no answer.   
"He's around here somewhere," Cosmo hissed.   
"I hope so," Vega returned, then frowned as he noticed a trickle of black smoke rising from behind the next warehouse. Now that stood out.   
"Look," he said already heading toward the building. Cosmo frowned and studied the thin black trail. Something didn't feel right as a shiver passed over his skin.   
"Vega, wait!" he called, looking at the buildings further away. Vega either didn't hear or ignored him as the cop kicked the door open, gun leveled.   
"Ace!" he shouted into the empty building. Cosmo looked at him, then the buildings a few doors down. Something about them, something that sent a tingle through his gut.   
"Hey, Vega we.. urk!" Cosmo's words died as a wave of dizziness swept through him, breath catching in his throat as he stumbled. The world faded out momentarily and he sunk to one knee, fighting to regain his orientation, blinking madly. Heart thumping hard in his chest, the distorted haze at last started to clear.   
Whoa! That felt familiar as an answering shiver rose deep inside himself. Way too familiar!   
"Ace!" Cosmo screamed, moving as soon as his legs would respond. Vega spun at his outcry, looking confused.   
"Cosmo?"   
"He's this way," Cosmo returned and the cop didn't hesitate a second longer, following the teen as they past several warehouses. As they approached the next in the series, gun fire could be dimly heard, muffled by the vast steel walls.   
"Whoa, wait!" Vega shouted, tackling Cosmo just before he reached the door, restraining the young man from his headlong charge inside. The gun fire was now very distinct, very loud and numerous.   
"Hands off!" Cosmo snarled, but Vega refused to ease up his grip.   
"Damn it, Cosmo, going off half cocked will only get you killed," he snapped, "You're not even supposed to be here, remember?"   
'Fine time for Vega to bring that up,' Cosmo thought darkly to himself.   
"Yea, but I am here, and I'm going to help," he spat. Vega sighed.   
"Then be smart, let me go first. I am the cop after all," he argued.   
"Yea, I sort of noticed that," Cosmo shot back, then sighed. "Sorry, just worried," he relented as the older man reached for the door.   
"Me too," Vega admitted, studying the building. The small man door was set in the corner alongside the large cargo door that pretty much made up the whole side of the warehouse.   
"Stay behind me," he ordered firmly, reaching for the door. And having it promptly smack him in the face as a man came staggering through, screaming bloody murder. Cosmo just caught the stunned detective as the man kept running, oblivious of either of them.   
"You okay?"   
Vega managed to nod as he shook his head clear.   
"I think Ace is winning," he chuckled.   
Cosmo grinned. "Never doubted that," he stated, proud of his partner's fighting prowess. Vega had to agree, taking the lead again.   
"Well, a little help never hurt. Come on."

Vega, with a bit more caution, entered and found himself in a small office section filled with a few old, steel desks and forgotten file cabinets. The gunfire ricocheted around the small enclosed space, the thin plaster walls offering no protection from the sound.   
At the back of the office, a door hung open, presumably the one the man had made good his escape from.   
"Stay behind me," Vega hissed in no uncertain terms, receiving an answering glower from Cosmo, but ignoring it as he pressed onward. At the door, the whole of the warehouse was visible, the tell tale flash of pulse pistols sending sharp burst of illumination over the scattered shipping crates.   
For a brief moment Vega caught sight of Ace. The dark haired man looked a bit ragged as he dodged another onslaught, the magic wand that glittered into existence in his hand launching out at an unseen target. A sudden cry cut across the high ceiling building, but for the one Ace had taken out there were another half dozen waiting.   
"Vega," Cosmo hissed in his ear, pointing past him and up.   
There, surveying the battle like a king on his throne, was Diamond. He was watching the whole scene, tossing something around in his hand.   
"What's he up to?" Vega muttered darkly as Cosmo slipped past, peering around a crate in an attempt to catch sight of Ace. He moved to another case and looked over, frowning as his hand bumped against something.   
"Uh, Vega..." he whispered urgently, looking at the small protrusion under his palm. Vega tore his eyes off Diamond long enough to look over at the teen.   
"What?"   
He came over to where Cosmo was inspecting the side of the crate intensely. The teen pulled out a pen light and illuminated the dark side of the crate. There, mounted on the coarse wood, was a small bundle of grayish material, trailing a couple of wires hooked to a small, matte black box.   
"Explosives," Vega hissed looking back up to Diamond who was still watching the fight. That was what he was tossing around in his hand. A remote detonation device. No doubt part of a back up plan. If Ace started winning the fight, he had little doubt Diamond would clear the area and hit the button. Surely this little bomb would have brothers and sisters all over the warehouse. Yea, it'd just be like the thug to sacrifice his own men to get Ace.   
"I'm going to get that remote, you stay here," Vega hissed, crouching down beside Cosmo and bracing for the fight that would come.   
"Like hell..." Cosmo started and Vega raised a hand to stem the tide.   
"Look, Cosmo, you're unarmed and Ace seems to be holding his own, okay. I need to get that remote from Diamond and I'll be able to do that a lot easier without having to keep an eye out for you.," he argued passionately. "You helped me find, Ace, now let me take care of helping him. Just wait it out here, okay? It'll be better if someone stays in reserve in case something goes wrong."   
Cosmo glared at him. "I can help," he hissed. "I'm Ace's partner."   
"Yea, and Ace is going to be mad enough that you're here. I don't want to add fuel to that fire by getting you hurt, okay? Please, Cosmo, as a favor to me, stay put."

Cosmo felt his gut twist and he looked to the fire-fight beyond the crates, then at Diamond. He knew Vega was right and Ace did not want him here. But still.....   
"The moment something goes wrong..." Cosmo muttered, raising a finger in emphasis. Vega nodded, acceptingly.   
"Then you can help, not before." The older man clamped a hand on his shoulder.   
"Thanks, Cosmo. I owe you one."   
Without a further word he moved off, heading toward Diamond's high roost. Cosmo watched him till the dark shadows of the packing freights swallowed him up. As soon as Vega was lost from sight, Cosmo immediately started moving. He'd promised to stay put, but he didn't promise where he would stay put.   
Finding a more suitable location behind a set of crates, Cosmo surveyed the scene. Ace was indeed holding his own it seemed. The magician was currently hiding behind a corner crate, plasma fire tearing up the front, but not penetrating deep enough to be a threat... yet.   
Cosmo's eyes traveled to where two men were bound in multi colored ribbons, a third partner trying in vain to free them and seemingly having little success. Two other gunmen where just flat out unconscious on the floor and forgotten in the fire fight, but at least six gunmen still stood, but weren't looking real willing to rush Ace. Glancing back at the downed men, it was easy to understand why.   
There was a flash and Cosmo's eyes jerked up as Ace moved. It was a wonder to behold as he moved in nothing more than a distorted blur, outline shimmering and difficult to focus on as he ran from one crate to another. A series of sharp edged cards -Ace's preferred weapon- whistled out from his magically distorted form. Two men cried in surprise and retreated briefly, their weapons falling apart in their hands, having been neatly cleaved in half.   
Cosmo couldn't help but grin, but the smile was short lived as he caught sight of Ace again. Resting, niched in the corner formed by two crates. The lines of strain were apparent on his sharply defined features. His face set in a determined mask, calm, cold and calculating. It was Ace at his most dangerous and his most challenged.   
Cosmo's gut twisted, feeling a smoldering twinge and he nearly launched from his hiding spot to join his partner, but the echo of Ace's own words stopped him. No, bad enough he'd broken his promise to Ace. Best thing he could do right now was keep his head low and let his partner do what he did best. Kicking the bad guys' butts.

Vega had given Ace a quick glance, satisfied that his friend was currently safe, whole and holding his own. Then, he turned his attention to Diamond who was still tossing the remote casually from one hand to the other, surveying the battle from the security of his high perch. A high perch currently being silently assaulted from the far side by Vega.   
'I'm getting to old for this,' he thought in annoyance, as muscles protested against the strain of pulling his weight slowly and quietly over the box's edge. One more crate would lead him to Diamond's perch and despite the roar of the guns echoing through the mammoth building, he had no desire to take the risk of giving away his presence.   
Peering just over the lip of the final crate, Vega assured himself that Diamond was alone, then carefully eased himself up. Rolling quickly to one knee, gun slipping from it's holster and raising, Vega put Diamond square in his sights.   
"Drop it, Diamond," he fairly had to shout to be heard above the near constant drone of gunfire. It was almost amusing how startled Blackjack's chief henchman looked as he spun, eyes wide. They narrowed quickly in anger and annoyance. The remote was no longer being leisurely tossed, but was firmly held. Diamond's thumb hovered over the trigger.   
"Not a chance, cop," he hissed, with a smirk.   
"You can't fool me, Diamond. You won't blow yourself sky high, so just put the remote down," Vega shot back, not really impressed by the display. Diamond was a determined sort, but far from suicidal.   
Diamond smiled and the thumb went down oh so lightly on the trigger and Vega suddenly had to reconsider his earlier observation of the gangster.   
"Shape charges, they'll blow out everything on the floor level," Diamond explained condescendingly. "Oh, we'll suffer a bit, but we will survive. As for Cooper..." he let the sentence drift, his self satisfied smile filling in the blanks.   
"You might survive the explosion, Diamond, but you won't survive a point blank shot, and I guarantee I can get one off before the whole place goes to hell," Vega promised with utter conviction, taking a touch of satisfaction in the flicker of uncertainty in his opponent's eyes.   
"So do us both a favor and drop it."

Cosmo's head jerked about as three more men joined the fray through the far man door. The trio was nearly being mowed down by friendly fire before their compatriots realized their mistake and returned their attention to Ace's current hide hole.   
Damn, damn, damn. The trio were in a position to really give Ace trouble and worst yet, he didn't know it! The men quickly arranged themselves, raising their weapons.   
White fire rose in his gut, but Cosmo didn't have time to pay it any mind. He had to do something. Now! And searching around furtively, Cosmo found it. Above the trio was a precariously perched stack of 50 gallon barrels.   
This.. was going to be fun. Keeping low and moving quick, Cosmo skittered through the shadows, ducking once, as a rogue shot crackled over head. Refusing to let it distract him from his task. Cosmo rounded another turn, the teen finding himself facing the backside of the tall wall of barrels. Okay, now how to move them? He looked about, then grinned. A forklift, tucked in the corner. Oh man, this was going to be fun!   
Cosmo launched himself into the seat and didn't even bother looking for the keys as he proceeded to hot-wire the machine. It sputtered, then hummed to life, tiny operating lights popping up over the control board.   
In the echoing gunfire, no one ever heard the little forklift as Cosmo, grinning maniacally, happily slammed it into drive and floored it. The barrels rushed up and he braced for impact taking a great deal of satisfaction as the machine hit. Even though he lost track of everything for a moment, as his world shuddered under the impact, Cosmo heard the results of his work.   
The base of the stack of the barrels, while actually being hit, moved very little, but as the shock wave traveled up the disturbance grew. The barrels highest up rained down onto the floor below, the plastic containers bouncing madly around the trio.   
Shaking his head clear, Cosmo flung himself out of the forklift and peered over the remaining barrels. A fluent curse left his lips. The three had gotten clear of his little landslide. Of all the damn luck! Well, at least they were no longer in a position to threaten Ace. Better that than nothing.

Vega had been keeping his attention focused on Diamond, but there was no missing the sudden collapse of a stack of fifty gallon drums which suddenly did a swan dive to the floor below. His eyes flickered, ever so briefly, to see if it was Ace's doing and that had been his mistake.   
The blow caught him high across the right eye as Diamond lunged at him. Vega rolled with the hit. Pivoting and bringing himself about, gun still in hand, he delivered a double fisted blow that sent the thug staggering back.   
Not one to miss an opportunity, Vega followed up, making a mad grab at the remote that had been dropped. He was nearly on it when Diamond recovered and tackled him, slamming them both to the crate's top.   
A curse left Vega's lips as he felt his gun bounce free, but he couldn't give the loss of his weapon too much attention as Diamond made an attempt at the remote. They collided, Vega getting his hand on it first. The henchman latched hard onto his arm, delivering a glancing blow to his forearm in an attempt to free it.   
He grunted at the pain that lanced through his wrist, but gritted his teeth, determined not to lose his hold on the remote. Getting one leg planted, Vega shoved himself up, Diamond rolling off of him and landing roughly.   
"You won't win that easily," Diamond snarled and vaguely Vega wondered how he could call this easy. That thought was interrupted as Diamond made a sudden charge, dropping one shoulder and delivering a classic tackle.   
Winded and sore, Vega staggered back from the brutal blow and suddenly became aware how close to the crate's edge he was. He felt his body fighting to change the course of its momentum as one foot dropped into thin air even as his free hand reached out of its own accord to find some purchase.   
There was none.   
A sudden shocking fear rushed through the old cop as he dropped, the world moving with surreal slowness, a slight breeze ruffling his hair.   
'Damn,' his brain muttered 'This is going to hurt.'

Ace had no idea what caused the barrels to tumble from their lofty heights, but he would not rebuke the stroke of luck as three men he'd been unaware of made a hasty retreat from the plastic bombardment.   
That made seven armed gunmen, but that number would increase as the two he'd disarmed earlier searched amongst their fallen comrades for weapons. He did not doubt they would eventually succeed and return to the fray.   
He needed something big, something wide scale.   
What he got was a startling, inarticulate scream. Everyone froze, suddenly looking up as something dropped from the high stack of crates toward the warehouses floor.   
"Vega!" The scream tore from Ace's throat as he watched, dumbstruck. There was no time to do anything. He could only be a witness as his oldest friend plummeted thirty feet, slamming into the cement floor with jarring force, his body bouncing once, then rolling limply to a halt, completely still.   
For a moment nothing happened. Then one gunman raised his weapon toward the downed detective, then another, determined to assure Vega's death.   
"Nooo!" Ace snarled angrily, launching from his niche and sprinting through the gunman who were somewhat startled from his sudden appearance in their midst. Their slow reactions allowed Ace to deliver one high kick and a hard back hand, taking two men down as he put himself between the hired killers and the cop.   
Exhaustion was shoved aside by fear and adrenaline, the powers of the magic force rising up in a screaming wall around him. Cape snapping in the magical winds, Ace raised his hands, spreading them out in a trail of blue sparkles a second before half a dozen shots smashed against the magical shield.   
Limb's trembling under the strain, Ace knew he could not dare lower the shield for a second, but neither could he keep the power flowing through an already strained body. Even as the gunman pummeled at the shield, his mind race feverishly over the possibilities and they were few.

Cosmo scrambled madly. Vega's scream had torn right through him and seemed to sear his soul as he dashed madly amongst the maze of crates. Ace was holding off the bastards, but he couldn't do it forever. So, it was up to him to get Vega out!   
Slipping on the smooth cement, Cosmo threw himself across the small open area where Ace's shield did not guard and rolled against the crate, quickly righting himself at Vega's side.   
"Vega! Vega, man," he called in a panic, searching for a pulse. A moment's agonizing gave way to relief as he found one, surprisingly strong and steady. Thank god for small miracles. Now to get the cop out of here. Moving him was definitely a bad idea given his fall, but the only one the teen could come up with as he started to sling one lifeless arm around his shoulder.

Ace blinked as sweat rolled into his eyes and in that moment caught the brief hint of movement behind him. It was doubtful it was Vega, but a gunman wouldn't have wasted the opportunity and he would have be dead where he stood.   
Risking a quick look, Ace froze, jaw hanging open, stunned.   
"Cosmo," he gasped in surprise, as the teen suddenly looked up him worriedly.

There was no missing his name, no matter the noise generated from the gunfire, and reflexively Cosmo looked up, his eyes locking with Ace's. The shock was clear in his older partner's gaze.   
The distraction was too much. It was simply too much, and a cold sheet of dread dropped over Cosmo as he saw the magical shield wavering, in answer to Ace's surprise. Ace too noticed it, already turning his attention back to it, but it was too late. One shot broke through the weakened barrier.   
Cosmo's eye's widened, the air leaving his lungs as he saw Ace spin about with the blow. Blood and flesh were tearing free from his shoulder as the shot penetrated the magical shield and angrily tore up fragile human flesh.   
The magician gave a strangled cry, hand going protectively to the injury even as he slammed into the hard floor. His face was a mask of agony, blood starting to spatter against the stark, dull gray cement.   
Vega was forgotten as Cosmo rose unsteadily, heart thrumming in his chest, vision hazing out at the edges as he watched Ace furtively try to turn around. Turn to face the gunmen who were taking aim, satisfaction plainly written on their faces as their fallen prey came into their sights.   
Cosmo shook his head, as if to deny the scene, but there was no denying it. It was happening and in no less than a heartbeat, Ace would be dead by half a dozen plasma bolts.   
Dead.   
Because of him.   
Cosmo did not deny the wall of white fire that screamed up around him. Welcoming it even, as it tore through him, over him. The world disappeared in a haze of power, noise and energy, warping any grasp Cosmo had on his senses.   
"NO!"   
The wave rushed along every nerve, setting his body on fire as the power wrenched from him, agony screaming through an overtaxed brain that succumbed happily to the wall of darkness that followed on the white fires heels.

***

A sneeze. It tore through the silence of the room and was followed by a sniffle. Vega blinked as the pungent scent of flora invaded his nose and tickled another sneeze out of him.   
Utterly confused, he blinked, and turned his head fractionally, looking around. Hospital room.   
He could figure that much out, had seen these stupid, white walls way too many times in his career. Another sneeze erupted from aggravated sinuses and Vega fixed the dozen or so bouquets decorating his room with a deadly glare.   
Flowers! Everyone always sent flowers. He paused, then smiled.   
Well, almost everyone.   
Only one bouquet was sans the annoying blooms. A small basket sat at his bedside, cradling a coffee cup and a variety of specialty blends.   
Ah... Miss LaSage. That woman knew him too well. He had to smile even as his body protested to his sitting up.   
"Uh, oh. Up and about, are we?"   
Vega looked up as a young slip of a girl in a nurse's uniform entered, laden with linens.   
"Hello," he said, rubbing at his face and finding a bandage over his abused left cheek. When had that gotten there? Oh heck, the last thing he could remember was a very unpleasant first step. He should be glad he was awake at all.   
"How long have I been out?" he asked, as the nurse fussed with changing his pillow case. She smiled kindly.   
"Two days. You've been in and out, but I'm not surprised you don't remember much," she answered, pausing for a moment.   
"How are you feeling?"   
Vega shrugged and winced. "Sore, I guess," he chuckled. The nurse nodded knowingly.   
"I don't doubt that. You didn't actually manage to break anything, but you did crack three ribs, your shoulder blade and put a hairline fracture in your skull. From what I understand, you're one very lucky cop," she returned, amused.   
"Oh yea, lucky enough to take a thirty foot nose dive," he muttered sarcastically. The nurse seemed nonplused as she lifted an amused eyebrow.   
"Yep, and still here to complain about it," she pointed out. Vega had to laugh at that. He might feel like a rugby match had been played on every portion of his body, but at least he was alive to feel it.   
Another sneeze erupted and he looked miserably at the flowers.   
"Allergies?" the nurse asked sympathetically.   
"Hay fever," he muttered, swinging his legs over the bed's edge.   
"Hey, now, just where do you think you're going?" the woman demanded, as he reached for a bathrobe draped over the visitor's chair. It was his own; brought from home. Another point for Ms. LaSage.   
"Anywhere that doesn't have flowers," he shot back, tentatively testing his legs. The nurse hadn't been lying, he might not have actually broken anything, but he sure felt dented. Sore bones and muscles protested his movements.   
"Okay, okay. Just no running a marathon," the nurse relented. "I'll find someplace more suitable for these." She tossed a look at the bouquets. "Then you get your butt back here to meet with the doctor."   
"You ever think of becoming a police captain?" Vega teased with a mock glare. "Job was meant for you."   
She smiled and Vega suddenly suspected she wasn't as young as she looked.   
"What? And give up torturing the cripples?"   
He laughed, then winced, his body telling him firmly to cut that sort of stuff out. The wince didn't go unnoticed.   
"Don't go too far. I'll have a painkiller waiting here for you with that doctor."   
"I'll take the painkiller, you can keep the doctor," Vega sighed as he took a few tester steps. Well, his legs seemed to have survived the fall fairly well. His ribs on the other hand...   
"I promise to be the finest patient you've ever had as long as you take care of those damn flowers," he offered. She nodded with a knowing smile.   
"Yea right. I'll have you know I've been warned about you, Lieutenant Vega."   
Vega groaned. Oh damn. Bad enough to be in a hospital, but worse to be in one where they knew you.   
"Go on and stretch those legs, a little movement will help keep your muscles loose. Just don't go too far and don't worry about the flowers."   
"Thank you," he offered with absolute sincerity as another sneeze threatened. He made for the door, but not before his hay fever got the best of him.   
"Flowers," Vega cursed as much as muttered, surveying the scene outside his room. Not a whole lot going on as far as hospitals went. A few nurses making their rounds, a couple dragging a child, undoubtedly off to visit some lucky relative, and a few other patients, such as himself, shambling along for nothing more than a change of scenery.   
Sometimes it actual paid to know your way around a hospital. Vega personally knew of a nice little niche on the third floor waiting room that had a nice view of a garden and it let in some decent sun.   
Anything would be better than those damn flowers.

***

The darkness was everywhere. Everything. No matter how far he ran, or how hard he tried, there was no getting beyond the stifling dank of the dark. The worst of it was that he was aware. Could think, could feel, but all there was to see or touch was the dark. Shivering, miserable, he started trudging again, praying, wishing either the dark would give up or that he would.

***

Vega turned a corner, nimbly dodging a hurried nurse, or as nimble as his body would allow, which was more of a hasty shuffle. That was when he noticed someone. A man was standing beside one door, obviously guarding it, but there was something familiar about him. Eyes narrowing in thought, the answer came in a flash.   
Walter Manchuri. A body guard that he'd hired once on Ace's behalf.   
Now that he had a name the facts fell in place. Nice fellow, good at his job, good reputation. Must be on duty.   
"Hello, Walter," Vega called cheerfully, as he made his way over. Walter looked up, recognition coming instantly to him. It wasn't that surprising, it was this man's job to guard and be aware of everything.   
"Hello, Mr. Vega. I had heard that you were here," Walter returned amicably, as Vega came to his side.   
"Yea, you'd think I'd learn my lesson by know," Vega chuckled, ignoring the twinge this caused in his ribs. "You on duty?"   
A confirming nod.   
"Yes sir, I'm working for Mr. Cooper again," Walter explained.   
It took a second for that to register. Vega frowned, leaning forward as if he'd misunderstood.   
"Ace?"   
Another nod. "Yes, sir. He gave very strict orders that no one, but hospital staff, is suppose to be allowed in," Walter went on, looking less than thrilled. "Truth is, Mr. Vega, he has me worried. I think he's come out of there maybe a whole two times in the last couple of days and he never goes home."   
Vega was still trying to process the first revelation.   
"I didn't know he'd been hurt," he muttered to himself, but Walter interrupted his thoughts.   
"Oh, he's okay. A bit banged up, I guess, but this is Cosmo's room."   
Vega's stomach did an unpleasant flip flop as a numb weight settled in his gut.   
"Cosmo?" he said slowly, quietly. Walter nodded unhappily.   
"Yes, sir. Nice kid, but he hasn't woken up in two days. Doctors are totally stumped. Mr. Cooper's not taking it well. I'm... worried about him."   
Vega nodded absently. This was one of the reasons he had chosen Walter as a bodyguard in the first place. The man truly cared about his clientele's welfare.   
Cosmo. Something had happened to Cosmo. Something bad.   
Oh man.   
He looked up at the burly bodyguard.   
"Um.. I know Ace gave you orders," he started uncertainly, hand gesturing toward the door. Walter nodded, looked at the door, then back at him.   
"Normally, I'd turn you down, but truth is, Mr. Cooper needs someone there. It's not right for him to be worrying by himself," Walter said slowly. "I hope he doesn't get too mad," he went on as he reached for the doorknob.   
"Don't worry, I'll take the blame for this one. Thanks, Walter," Vega promised, as the guard opened the door for him.   
"No problem, Mr. Vega. Good luck."

***

He sat shivering in the blackness, feeling himself curl into a fetal position, trying to find solace in a body that seemed to radiate nothing but cold. Why couldn't he be dead? He wanted to be dead. Anything was better than this. Awareness in the dark.   
Alone.   
So soul torturing alone.   
Cold tears dropped into the inky void and he sobbed, wishing he could die.

***

The room, while being the same as any other hospital room, carried a pall of despair. Quietly, Vega moved in, noting that the shades were half drawn, muting the room's contours. It seemed somehow appropriate.   
Ace had not noticed his entrance, sitting in a visitor's chair, one arm in a sling, the other resting on the pale hand of his partner.   
Cosmo was an utter point of stillness in the bed. If it wasn't for the heart monitor, Vega would have sworn the kid was dead for the absolute lack of motion in him. God, he looked so childlike. Face completely lax, hair that normally defied gravity falling forward without the restraining headband. The kid appeared even younger than his seventeen years.   
What had happened? It was the only thought in his head. The teen looked okay. There were no visible injuries or bandages. None and yet....   
Thank God for the heart monitor -Vega shivered- or he would have really believed Cosmo was dead. If he was breathing, he sure couldn't tell.   
Vega returned his attention to Ace. The older man looked far worse than his young companion. Dark rings accented his eyes and his black hair with its accenting stripes was brittle and in disarray. If the man had actually managed to sleep, it sure as hell didn't show. He simply sat there, somewhat angled due to the undoubtedly sore shoulder, staring, thumb rubbing over the back of Cosmo's hand.   
"Hey," Vega called gently. Ace jumped and looked up at him, startled. Surprise turned quickly to recognition, then returned to despair again.   
"Got past Walter, eh?" he sighed tiredly.   
"Don't get mad at him. He's worried about you. And it looks like for good reason," Vega explained. Ace did look awful and not for the first time he wondered at what he had missed as he studied the slung arm, a large bandage prominent under Ace's jacket, but now didn't seem quite the moment to ask.   
"How is he?" he asked instead, coming alongside the bed.   
Ace simply shook his head. "No change. The doctors aren't sure if he'll ever wake up," he whispered, the thumb never stopping its gentle circles, the other hand clenching into a fist.   
"This didn't need to happen. It didn't."   
Vega looked at Ace, then Cosmo, the numb lump in his gut becoming a boulder.   
The doctors didn't think he would ever come to? What the hell?   
"Is... is he braindead?" he asked, dreading the possibility.

Ace's eye closed in pain, but he answered.   
"They can't get conclusive readings. They don't know. They're dealing with something they can't even comprehend. I don't expect them actually be able to treat him."   
Vega frowned. "What are they dealing with?"   
"Cosmo channeled the magic force, completely, wholly. He's been internalizing the power for some time, it's be building up and when... when.." Ace's voice hitched for a second and the clenched fist trembled.   
"He channeled the magic force to save me." It came out in a whisper as the moment exploded with dreadful clarity in Ace's mind. Again he was laying there, vision dancing in little blue spots from the pain as blood pumped between his fingers, the gunmen raising their weapons toward him.   
He tried to get beyond the burning agony of his wounded shoulder, find some way to prevent his death in spite of the odds. Despite the exhaustion, the pain, Ace had attempted to reach the magic   
And the magic was gone.   
Well, not so much gone, but redirected, being siphoned elsewhere. A second, in only a second, he looked to his young partner, the fear of realization washing away the agony of his destroyed flesh.   
The young man's jacket lifted with the magical winds as a tornado of yellow energy, streaked with red rose around him. A single scream was loosed. A single denial that drove straight into his brain and wiped out everything in a battering wall of anger, fear and determination.   
Then, he had woken. Surrounded by medics and the back up Vega had called earlier. The cops were gathering up the other gunmen who were in themselves just coming to.

"So, the magic did this?" Vega whispered softly, dreadfully, shaking him from his memories. Ace managed to draw in a shuddering breath.   
"Yes. I.. I was lucky in the past to survive my wild channelings. Most, most are like Cosmo. Very few survive such accidents," he explained with dreadful calm, head falling forward as his eyes closed against the emotional anguish.   
"Damn it! He promised. He knew why I made him promise," the magician went on miserably. "Why didn't he listen!?"   
'Oh god,' Vega thought, horrified. 'This is my fault!'   
Now Cosmo's cryptic words came back to him. Their meaning suddenly personified.   
-You get to explain this to Ace-   
And indeed he had to. His friend deserved no less.   
"He wanted to keep your promise Ace," Vega managed to get out past his tight throat. God, this had happened because of him! Cosmo knew, had known he shouldn't be there, and Vega had ignored that concern.   
And now the kid was comatose.   
Ace looked at him, gray eyes worn, but puzzled. The fist relaxed, then clenched, again as if the motion was the only thing keeping the man from striking out at anything and everything.   
"I.... Cosmo told me about the promise. He didn't want to come. I... I convinced him to come with me. Well, actually, I sort of goaded him into it," Vega continued softly, unable to look at Ace as his friend stared at him in confusion.   
"You?" Ace paused as he absorbed it all. "Cosmo told you about the promise and you still made him come?"   
The disbelief was there, as well as the unasked question   
Why?   
"I.." Vega hesitated and reached out, touching the coverlet, wishing vainly that Cosmo looked more alive and less like a corpse.   
"I knew backup would take some time and we didn't really know where you were. I wanted Cosmo there to help me find you," he confessed. He knew it was dangerous. On a deep down level he knew it was wrong, but it was for Ace. Ace's life had been on the line.   
'And your sacrificed Cosmo's life for his' his conscience hissed, making him all the more ill.   
Ace hadn't said anything and Vega risked a glance at his friend, finding the eyes locked on him, stormy... dangerous.   
"You used Cosmo to find me." It was more of a statement than a question. "You made Cosmo break his promise on the half chance that he could sense me?"   
Vega nodded miserably.   
He knew about the teen's ability. Ace had even discussed with him about Cosmo's possible empathic link. There was no proof about how good that link was. Well, he mused, no proof before, but Cosmo had found Ace, unerringly, accurately.   
"You used him!" The words lashed across the room one step below a scream and Vega unconsciously backed up as his friend rose, the exhaustion and worry being replaced by a far more volatile emotion.   
"I'm sorry, Ace. God, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. I... I never thought it would come to this... I didn't understand," Vega pleaded with him, sick to the core about what his actions had wrought.   
"No, you didn't understand and still you saw fit to put Cosmo's life at risk to save me," Ace snarled, fist clenched so tight that a trickle of blood drizzled over the palm where fingernails had bitten into tender flesh.   
"I never meant..."   
"Like hell you didn't!" Ace snapped. "You used him. Plain and simple. You used him for a magic he sure as hell couldn't control to save me!"   
Vega flinched back, every word hitting like a physical blow.   
"I...I," he tried in vain, then gave up. "All I can say is sorry Ace! I was scared to death for you. I never meant to get Cosmo hurt."

***

Enough was enough. Tired, cold... alone... so alone. He wanted out or he wanted to die. At this point it didn't matter which as long as it was one of the choice's. Escape.. die. Either was fine. As long as they weren't the dark, as long as he was no longer aware or alone.   
One way or the other he wanted out. Now! Rising up, he stared definitely at the blackness that swept all around him, and he screamed, pummeling at it, striking out, lashing forward with all his will-- all his strength.   
Escape or Die.   
Either one was fine.   
As long as he was somewhere other then here.

***

"How... how could you do it, Vega?" Ace growled, taking two slow, angry steps toward the older man. Vega shook his head despairingly.   
"I didn't understand. I just..." There was no explaining it. He had never, ever meant the young man harm. Never honestly thought Cosmo would get hurt. He'd seen Ace channel wildly. Sure, it wiped him out for a day or so, but it never, never brought him to the brink of death, never left him a living corpse.   
"How dare you!" Ace ground out, blue energy crackling over his fingers with the angry rise of magic, the powers answering his rage. The magician was not denying the power or the anger that summoned it.

***

Live or Die. A scream wrenched from him that tore into his soul.. and beyond.

***   
"Ace, please, I..." The rest died as the heart monitor leapt wildly, an alarm going off as a shudder went through Cosmo. Thin limbs trembled as the heart monitor went crazy, beeping it's obnoxious cadence, growing faster and faster, in time with every mad twitch.   
'Oh god,' Vega thought numbly as Ace leapt to the bed, pulling his bad arm from the sling and trying furtively to still the young man's body. Cosmo arched up, mouth dropping open in a silent scream, eyes still closed and crinkled in pain.   
"Cosmo!" Ace cried, the alarms adding to the insanity as the door exploded open doctors and nurses pushing past Vega.   
One doctor made the mistake of trying to displace Ace and found himself brutally shoved backwards into a wall. The look on the magician's face was pure murder, and briefly the blue fire danced about his hand again. No one was going to remove him from his partner's side, but he still had enough control of his senses to make some space for others to approach.   
All the while Cosmo shuddered under the seizure, body jerking madly as muscles tightened to the breaking point, the doctors furtively trying to decipher the wild readings from the equipment.   
"No, Cosmo, fight," Ace pleaded desperately, clamping his hands of either side of Cosmo's head trying to still the mad trembling, cradling the tormented face.   
"Fight!"   
The heart monitor started skipping beats, the green tracer lines shuddering wildly, occasionally going flat all together   
"Get a crash cart in here stat!" one doctor shouted and a nurse scrambled to obey.   
"No, Cosmo," Ace breathed, bending over and resting his worried brow against the teens cold, sweat speckled forehead. The word dropped like a prayer.   
"No."

***

Light! A sharp point beyond the darkness. Beyond the emptiness. Shuddering with exhaustion, with pain, he lunged at it, feeling death biting at his heels and no longer welcoming it.   
There was light and where there was light, there was life!

***

The sudden intake of breath ricocheted around the room as Ace found himself staring into wide, frightened gray eyes, the black pupils dilating madly as they tried to focus on him.   
The heart monitor alarm kicked out with stunning speed as the green tracer lines steadied, Cosmo going suddenly limp against the bed, breath coming in startling pants. He did little more than stare up at his partner, the doctors dumbfounded by the sudden shift in the situation.   
"Welcome back," Ace whispered softly, feeling a tear roll down his cheek, the small droplet falling like a blessing onto Cosmo's own. The teen let out a shuddering breath, never drawing his gaze away.   
"No choice, is there?" he rasped weakly, brows drawing together not in confusion, but resignation. Ace shook his head ever so slightly.   
"No, there isn't," he confirmed softly. Cosmo shivered, closed his eyes for a moment, letting go a soft exhale, then opening them again.   
"I'm sorry Ace. I'm sorry I broke your promise," he said in a trembling rush. Ace stilled the breathless words, stroking his hair back, making a soft shushing noise.   
"It's okay, Cosmo. I know why you did. I'm not mad," he assured calmly.

Vega saw one doctor about to intrude on the conversation and caught the man's arm.   
"Wait," he hissed, allowing his iron grip to emphasis the point.   
The doctor glared at him, then looked at Ace and Cosmo. It took the man a second, but he finally seemed to realize that he wasn't really needed at the moment.

"Can you? I know I've been a pain, but.. help me, please Ace. I.. I don't... not again," Cosmo stuttered, shuddering from the phantom memories. Ace smiled gently, relief shining in his eyes. At last!   
"I understand,." he said simply, voice soothing.   
"We can start as soon as the doctors check you out okay?"   
An uncertain nod and a hesitant smile was his answer, the soft shudders finally easing. There was slow blink and another deep breath.   
"Thanks, Ace," Cosmo said softly, reaching up and touching Ace's hand tentatively. Ace let his large fingers wrap around slender ones, squeezing gently.   
"Just rest, the doctors need to look at you. I'll be right here," Ace assured.   
Cosmo nodded, still smiling as his eyes drop shut. The young man appearing even more frail and worn now that he was awake.   
But alive. At least he was alive.

The moment Ace stepped clear, the doctors were at the bedside, quietly talking to their patient, taking their readings and testing reflexes. Cosmo would rouse only enough to answer their questions, occasionally glancing at Ace, otherwise he seemed content to rest, looking very tired and very relieved.   
"You really planning to teach him... right now, I mean?" Vega asked softly. Ace never removed his attention from the physician besieged bed, but he did answer, voice cold, distant.   
"He must learn to block the power before he can learn to touch it, Vega. He's caused enough damage in denying it. I won't let him hurt himself any more."   
Vega looked to the magician and briefly, Ace looked back. The eyes that had held all the warmth of the sun moments before were cold as ice as they scrutinized him.   
"You should go."   
It was not a request.   
Vega wanted to say something, anything, but simply nodded instead.   
Ace was angry, had a right to be angry. Now was not the time.   
"If you need me..." He let the words drift as he turned toward the door. There was no answer, Ace's attention already returned to his partner.

***

The softly spoken words of anger echoed anew in his head as Derek Vega approached the Ring Theater. Parked alongside the delivery bay was the Magic Express, the massive blue and white bullet train dwarfing the roadies working around her. It'd been two weeks since that last conversation and Vega knew, that now that the Electro City shows were complete, Ace would be getting on with his multi city tour. He could only hope enough time had passed to calm his friend's angry fire.   
Folder in hand, Vega strolled up to the train's nose, where the roadies were loading up the brightly colored packing crates, each one bearing the Magician's trademarked M. He paused briefly, watching two burly men man-handle one crate into the forward vehicle bay. They pushed it inside where two other men came up to add it to the pile against the wall.   
"Hey guys, I've still got one electronics case missing. Do me a favor and see if Mark got it mixed up with the props again."   
Vega blinked in surprise. He jerked back as Cosmo magically appeared, swinging out of the Magic Express, one hand holding onto the vehicle bay's door frame, in the other an electronic note pad.   
"Cosmo," Vega gasped in surprise. God, given the kid's condition when he had last seen him, he had suspected he'd still be in the hospital or at very least bedridden in the Express.   
Running the roadies was definitely not what Vega had expected.   
"Hey, Vega!" Cosmo called easily, noticing the cop who definitely stuck out among the uniformed hired help. He crouched down, hands draped comfortably over his knees, an open smile on his face. The teenager certainly looked healthy enough, that much Vega had to admit.   
"How you doing, Cosmo?" he asked, walking up. Cosmo shrugged and grinned.   
"Good as ever. I was released the next day. Personally, that was too long in itself. Man, I hate hospitals," he explained cheerfully.   
Vega smiled slightly and nodded. Yea, he could relate. He looked up, locking eyes with the young man, thankful at least that he'd have this chance before the Magician went on tour.   
"I owe you an apology, Cosmo. I never had any right to make you go against your promise to Ace," he offered simply, sincerely. For every night since his discharge, he had laid awake at night, reliving those horrible moments in the hospital, welcoming the cold guilt as punishment for his involvement. It went without saying that sleep had not been a friend of his.   
Cosmo shrugged uncomfortably, somewhat embarrassed by the cop's apology.   
"Hey, I understand. Your heart was in the right place."   
Vega shook his head.   
"Doesn't matter. I had no right use your... abilities, that way. I am sorry I took advantage of you. I mean it. If I had had an idea..." Vega let the words drift, not certain how much the teen would want revealed in front of the men milling about. Obviously not much since his eyes darted cautiously about, to see who was in hearing range. He bent down slightly.   
"Man, if I had had any idea what would happen, you couldn't have pried me out of the Express with a crowbar," Cosmo admitted with a chuckle, offering a small smile. "It's okay, Vega. You did it for Ace. I can forgive you for that."   
He jerked his chin toward the folder forgotten in Vega's hand.   
"What's that?"   
Vega held up the folder, Cosmo taking it, leafing through the contents.   
"Just the preliminary report. Thanks to the ransom video and Angel's surveillance video, I've been cleared of all suspicion involving the Imperial Ball robbery. A little good news. A couple of the gunmen that were apprehended at the scene have approached the prosecuting attorney about a possible plea bargain. Seems they're willing to finger the people involved in the Imperial Ball heist. Diamond made the mistake of hiring the same thugs for both jobs," Vega explained, somewhat cheerfully, accepting the folder back. Cosmo had little interest in such things.   
"Diamond, eh? What charges are being brought against him?"   
Vega let out a frustrated snort.   
"None, I'm afraid. He wasn't found at the scene after you... well..."   
"Knocked everyone on their butts," Cosmo filled in nonplused.   
"Yea," Vega chuckled. Knocked on their butts had been polite. It'd taken nearly an hour for everyone caught in the blast radius to come to. All of that was in the report, even though no one had even bothered to tried to explain it yet.   
"My guess is that the moment I took the swan dive with the remote, he made good his escape," he went on. Cosmo frowned, red brows drawing down deep.   
"But what about the tapes?"   
Vega could only shake his head, equally frustrated.   
"He never actually appears in either. All we have is the voice-over and a good lawyer could argue it was a set up by a rival gang to make Blackjack look bad. The prosecutors don't feel it's worth pursuing. They've got their hands full with the gunmen at moment."   
Cosmo let out a disgusted snort, shaking his head.   
"Man, of all the bozos I'd like to get," he muttered darkly. "No one's willing to point a finger at Blackjack?"   
Vega chuckled humorlessly. "They're dumb, but not that dumb, Cosmo," he sighed. The teen just shook his head in aggravation.   
"We'll get them next time," Vega offered. It was what he kept telling himself every day. If he didn't, he knew he'd give up the fight and retire.   
"Anyway, you seem busy, I just wanted to give this to Ace before you guys hit the road," Vega said holding the folder out again. "If you wouldn't mind."   
Cosmo looked at it oddly, blinking slowly. "Why don't you just give it to him?"   
Vega cleared his voice awkwardly, not sure how to answer that question.   
"Well..." he started, but the teen interrupted with another rude snort.   
"He's still mad at you?!" The exclamation was definitely not in Ace's favor.   
"He has reason to be, Cosmo. You nearly died because of me. I don't blame him for being mad," Vega sighed. He had tried to contact Ace. To talk to his friend, but no message was ever accepted or returned.   
Cosmo rolled his eyes and offered a hand up. "Come on," he demanded, keeping the hand out as Vega hesitated. Cosmo would not relent and shook the offered hand out impatiently. The old cop heaved a sigh, giving in and accepting the help up into the vehicle bay. The teen took the lead through the familiar halls, Vega falling somewhat behind his stride a bit more subdued than his determined guide.

Ace was in his study, the final supply rooster spread out in front of him. While there was something to be said about modern computer technology, sometimes it was just easier and faster to jot something down on a good old-fashioned piece of paper.   
The brief rap at his door proceeded Cosmo's entry as the young man slipped through the opening door.   
"Hey, Cosmo, what's up?" he asked cheerfully, knowing his partner was watching over the loading. Cosmo didn't say anything and Ace frowned as he read the look of annoyance on the young man's face. Brow furrowed uncertainly, he became aware of someone moving behind his partner.   
"Hello, Ace," Vega offered with a tentative smile as he stopped at the threshold.   
For a brief moment, anger flashed like a wildfire through Ace at the sight of his oldest friend. He would have let it die, wanted to let it die, but the memories were still too clear, too sharp, and with Cosmo standing here, their impact was all the harder.   
"Vega," Ace said, with the minimal politeness, his look guarded. Silence fell briefly between the two men, an uncertain strain in the air.   
Cosmo promptly broke it with a snort, planting his hands on his hips.   
"Man, what is your problem?" he demanded of his partner, startling Ace. The older man looked at him surprised and a touch puzzled. He wasn't honestly sure how to answer that. His assistant gestured exaggeratedly at Vega.   
"How long you going to be mad at him?!" Cosmo went on challengingly.   
The magician glanced at him momentarily, then sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. It was surprising that of all people, Cosmo would be asking that question of him.   
"You don't understand, Cosmo. This doesn't involve..."   
"Me?" Cosmo snapped. "Like hell it doesn't! It sort of involves me a lot!"   
Vega and Ace both blinked in surprise at the teen. Cosmo could be stubborn, but he rarely tore into Ace, let alone in front of company. As if realizing his actions, Cosmo forced himself to take a deep breath of his own, calming.   
"Okay, he screwed up, so what? I think I've got the record around here on mess ups. Heck, if I can forgive him, you sure as heck don't have a right to be mad at him," the young man went on, approaching the desk and leaning against it. Ace stared up into his partner's stormy eyes. They were defiant, concerned, but free of any anger, making it hard for him to cling to the arguments that had been stoking his wrath as of late. For a brief moment, Ace tried to gather an argument, but the earnest gaze never wavered in its conviction or worry. In the end he couldn't.   
Ace released a slow sigh.   
"You're right," he admitted at last, not displeased as the furious fire that had been smoldering him sputtered and died. Cosmo was right, he had been angry too long, and if Cosmo could forgive the old cop, then he mostly certainly could.

The teen grinned smugly, pleased.   
"Cool. Funny. It's not often I get to be the mature one around here," he laughed rocking back on his heels happily. Vega rolled his eyes at the statement, but both older men were smiling.   
Cosmo studied them both for a second and nodded. No wonder Ace had been moping about the last two weeks, holding his grudge against Vega. Sheesh. And Ace called him stubborn! Maybe now things could get back to normal. Huh, well, as normal as things got around here.   
"Well, I've got to get back to work or Mark will get everything mixed up again," Cosmo announced cheerfully. "Play nice you two."

Ace threw him an annoyed looked, but Cosmo blithely ignored it as he headed toward the door.   
"Thanks, Cosmo," Vega breathed as he passed, reaching out to briefly touch his shoulder.   
Cosmo shrugged with a nod. "No problem." Whistling cheerfully, he disappeared down the hall. Vega stepped into the room, finally allowing the poor automatic door to slide shut behind him.   
Vega sighed with an eyeroll.   
"Cosmo the mature one. Now I know the world's coming to an end."   
Ace chuckled, head shaking humorously. Vega smiled slightly, pleased that Ace shared the joke. He stopped near the desk, though still just out of range, waiting cautiously.

The magician looked up at his old friend, feeling a sharp pang of guilt for his behavior, studying the older man's guarded gaze. Indeed, he had let his anger go too long. Too damn long and it showed in both of them.   
"Please, sit," Ace offered standing up as Vega slowly approached.   
"Thanks, but I can't stay long," Vega sighed, offering up the folder. "I just wanted to keep you informed in how things were going."   
Ace took the folder, studying the contents with a more critical eye, then his friend.   
"Thank you, Vega," he said sincerely, setting the file atop the mess on his desk.   
Vega nodded, quiet for moment, then looking straight at Ace.   
"I am sorry, Ace," he started, but Ace simply shook his head, smiling.   
"Cosmo's right. I have no right to be angry if he's forgiven you. Truth is, I'm just tired of being angry and I'm glad this whole mess is over with," Ace admitted, sitting on the desk's edge, hands clasped loosely in his lap.   
Vega sighed. "Yea, there's still the paperwork, but, at least things are back to normal." Then he laughed. "Well, as normal as possible around here."   
Ace joined him, chuckling, then blinking as Vega offered his hand.   
"Friends again?" the older man asked cautiously, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Ace smiled gently and wrapped his own hand around his friend's, grip strong.   
"Friends," Ace stated, firmly, unequivocally. The weight that lifted off Vega's spirit was tangible and Ace felt another pang of guilt for letting this go on so long.   
"Come on," he stated, clamping the white haired man on the shoulder and guiding him to the door. "I'm sure you can spare a moment's time for a quick drink and a look at our security plans."   
Vega smiled, knowing full well Ace didn't need help with security, but falling in beside the magician all the same.   
"I think I can fit that into my schedule," he chuckled.   



End file.
